Caution urged for stadium tours

A more cautious approach to visitors may be needed at Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium, contractors are warning, following two accidents and 11 "near misses" at the construction site.

A breakdown of health and safety incidents at the site showed there had been 27 incidents in the 228,000 man-hours since construction of the roofed stadium began last year, a report by project manager Arrow International said.

The figures included two accidents in which workers required unspecified medical treatment, and four more requiring first aid.

Arrow International director projects Lale Ieremia could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Dunedin Venues Management Ltd chief executive David Davies did not have additional details when contacted.

Mr Davies said there were "always" going to be some incidents with up to 200 people working at the stadium site each day, but the overall health and safety performance was "actually pretty good".

"When I look at the size of the project I think the health and safety process has been pretty good down there."

The Arrow report said none of the mishaps had resulted in lost construction time, and the stadium site had achieved a 97% compliance result when checked by Site Safe New Zealand, an external health and safety auditor.

The report suggested "prudence" when considering future requests for site visits, following a "marked increase" in the number of tours.

The extra caution was needed because activity at the site was about to enter its most high-risk period from a health and safety perspective, with overhead structural steel lifts due to begin in the next few months.

"We all acknowledge the importance to continue to support the positive momentum being built through these site visits, but we are starting to move into our highest H&S risk profile with overhead structural steel lifts being undertaken over the next few months.

"Prudence is requested."

Arrow's report was presented to yesterday's meeting of the Dunedin City Council finance and strategy committee, and showed construction and expenditure remained on track.

Private sector fundraising had also climbed to $30,319,000, up from the $30.1 million reported on February 15.

Department of Labour staff could not provide details of incidents at the site when contacted late yesterday, and Site Safe New Zealand staff said the findings of their audit were confidential.