Two deaths in the space of a week has prompted the government to order reviews of port operations across New Zealand.
A worker for Lyttelton Port Company was crushed by coal on Monday while loading a ship.
Just six days earlier, 26-year-old Atiroa Tuaiti died at the Ports of Auckland. He is believed to have fallen while working on a container ship.
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood, who is also the Transport Minister, this afternoon announced he had directed the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) to investigate the deaths.
He also requested all port companies to review operations and provide assurances that the appropriate steps are being taken to minimise the risk of harm for all high risk activities.
The Ports Leadership Group will also prepare advice on actions for the Minister, including possible changes to regulations.
"All New Zealanders should return from work safe and unharmed," Wood said. "We are sending a strong message to the port sector, every player must ensure they are doing all they can to reduce and manage risk."
"The TAIC investigation will provide an independent, safety focused approach to identifying wider circumstances and causes of the accident. TAIC investigations are systemic, independent and impartial, with extensive legal powers to gather and protect evidence."
The Ports Leadership Group consists of representatives from the Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ), the Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU), the Port Industry Association (PIA), Port CEs, WorkSafe, and Maritime New Zealand.
Inspectors from the latter two will also visit each of the 13 major international ports around New Zealand over the next fortnight.
"Our ports play a crucial role in our economy, and as part of our economic recovery it is essential that they operate efficiently and safely. I want to acknowledge that there has been good process over recent months and I thank the sector for their continued engagement," Wood said.
"Other sectors should also take notice from these recent events and remind themselves of their responsibilities to ensure the safety of their workplaces."
Maritime Union national secretary Craig Harrison told Checkpoint he welcomed the investigation into deaths at New Zealand ports.
"It's the quickest way to find lasting results," he said.
He says evidence from unions and port workers will help to capture the extent of the safety issues, with the industry under a lot of pressure in the past few years, making it even more dangerous for employees.
NZ has a "pretty terrible" record for port fatalities and injuries in the global supply chain, Harrison added.
He hopes to see enforceable safety regulations introduced.
"We'd like to see some enforceable codes of practice that can be enforced under the law. I look to the work that's been done in Australia for instance, or Canada around Port safety, there's significant gains being made over there."
