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Focus on Construction

Lately, we’ve been busy supporting a wide range of construction projects across South Auckland, working alongside builders, plumbers, electricians, drainlayers, painters, tilers—in fact, almost every specialist trade.

It’s been a valuable learning experience, reinforcing what we’ve long believed: simply putting a standard sign on the fence that everyone ignores or displaying a “Site Safe” sticker on a van does little to improve health and safety. In some cases, it can even create a false sense that health and safety is being effectively managed, which may increase risk.

There is still plenty of work to do in this high-risk sector. It is full of skilled, committed people, but health and safety processes are often inconsistent or ineffective.

We have also been involved in discussions with WorkSafe. This included situations where scaffolding is closed partway through being erected, or concerns are raised about workers being supported by a standard 200 × 50 mm scaffold plank. These illustrate the need for practical experience and recognition of the experise of qualified people. That’s a conversation for another day, but it highlights the challenges the industry continues to face.

A positive development is the new Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) for Identifying Health and Safety Roles and Responsibilities on a Residential Construction Site. Winsland has been invited to provide further input, having also contributed to the initial draft. The current target is for the ACOP to be published by the end of July 2026.

There is considerable confusion across the sector about roles and responsibilities, so the new ACOP should provide valuable clarity. However, it will not, on its own, solve all of the health and safety challenges facing residential construction.

We are also working with WorkSafe on the adequacy of existing guidance material and the need for an ACOP covering energy-related projects.

Contact us to discuss how we can support your health and safety needs.

All about prequalification

Clients using established prequalification providers are increasingly expressing frustration at the time, complexity, and cost involved in the process. They want an alternative path to prequalification appropriate to their nature – their size and the reality of typically working in a small team on a narrow range of activities.

As we have previously discussed in our article on prequalification (https://winsland.co.nz/pre-qual/), prequalification has evolved into a complex and costly process, largely driven by the requirements of large organisations and commercial providers. While well intentioned, it often places a disproportionate burden on small and medium-sized businesses.

Rather than simply highlighting the problem, we decided to do something to help SME along the alternative path to prequalification that already exists and which is appropriate to the nature of SME.

Industry platforms such as Tōtika recognise standardised contractor assessment. For SMEs audited by certified lead auditors against ISO 45001, the audit itself can provide an alternative means of demonstrating compliance with the standard. It covers the same ground, with ISO 45001 providing a common framework. Winsland consultants are now qualified to carry out these assessments.

Combined with our Health and Safety App (https://winsland.co.nz/app/), which helps businesses create, manage, and store their health and safety records, we believe this provides a practical and cost-effective alternative to many traditional prequalification processes.

maintenance work at reserve bank lobby

SSSP requirements in NZ explained

What makes a good SSSP?

SSSP need to reflect the specific site – that’s why there are 3 “S’s”. Too many contractors roll out the same material for every site.

It’s ok to use a standard risk register as a baseline but remove what is irrelevant. Reviewers don’t appreciate reading through things that don’t apply. And ensure the site-specific risks are both included and appropriately worded in the risk register. Further, ensure the risks / hazards advised by the main contractor are included.

Same with Safe Work Procedures – ensure they describe the work accurately.

Ensuring workers are competent is fundamental to ensuring safety. To this end the SSSP needs to be clear with detailing competencies. “Height training” for example, is meaningless. Further generic courses such as a Site Safe Passport might sound good but do not establish any particular competence. What is required is documentation which details formal recognised technical training and details the nature of practical experience. We have a separate post on how we establish competency.