Te hauora me te haumaru o ngā kaikirimana
Health, safety and wellbeing for contractors
Information on health and safety, worker wellbeing and how to meet your obligations as a contractor.
Our commitment to you
We’re committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for our workforce, customers, site visitors and the public.
Steps we take to achieve this include:
- Identifying, understanding and managing workplace hazards
- Establishing safe working practices
- Empowering people to adopt safe practices
- Providing appropriate leadership, training and communication to all employees
- Ensuring full compliance with relevant legislation regulations, codes of practice, policies and procedures for all aspects of our operation
Our health and safety induction process
To work at one of our sites, you need to complete an induction beforehand. There are two ways to do that – check out the options below and choose which is right for you.
Registration for new contractors
If you’re a new contractor, you need to register via our Immerse portal to complete your inductions, certificate for site entry and training modules before beginning work.
Certificate renewal for existing contractors
If you’ve previously registered via Immerse and undergone your induction process, you can simply renew your certificate for site entry. Download a pdf instruction guide.
Control of work system
As a Watercare contractor, you and your staff must always work safely on our sites and assets. When working on our sites you’ll need to provide a work pack detailing the scope of your work, the hazards and risks involved and the planned controls to ensure that the work will be undertaken safely.
For work pack requirements, steps and documentation, please review the info below.
Permit to work process Our permit to work process is an important part of our control of work system and provides the framework and tools for how we manage and authorise potentially high-risk activities. These activities include:
- Working at height
- Confined space entry
- Hazardous atmosphere zone
- Excavations
- Disablement of safety systems
- Isolation of energy sources
- Other potentially high-risk activities (i.e. crane lifts, diving)
Note: For project sites where control of all works has been formally handed over to the contractor, the contractor is expected to operate under their own permit to work process.
We require anyone applying for a work permit (Permit Receiver) to have a suitable level of competency achieved through training to NZQA standard 17588, Apply for, accept and carry out work according to a work permit in the workplace.
You can access our Control of Work documents and forms in the sections below.
Our permit to work process is an important part of our control of work system and provides the framework and tools for how we manage and authorise potentially high-risk activities. These activities include:
- Working at height
- Confined space entry
- Hazardous atmosphere zone
- Excavations
- Disablement of safety systems
- Isolation of energy sources
- Other potentially high-risk activities (i.e. crane lifts, diving)
Note: For project sites where control of all works has been formally handed over to the contractor, the contractor is expected to operate under their own permit to work process.
We require anyone applying for a work permit (Permit Receiver) to have a suitable level of competency achieved through training to NZQA standard 17588, Apply for, accept and carry out work according to a work permit in the workplace.
You can access our Control of Work documents and forms in the sections below.
Work pack requirements Our control of work system is made up of three critical risk-management processes, which support effective work planning and safe execution. These processes make up the components of your work pack:
- Risk assessment
- Permit to work
- Isolation of energy sources
As the person in charge of the work, you’re responsible for developing the work pack and returning it to your Watercare representative.
Our control of work system is made up of three critical risk-management processes, which support effective work planning and safe execution. These processes make up the components of your work pack:
- Risk assessment
- Permit to work
- Isolation of energy sources
As the person in charge of the work, you’re responsible for developing the work pack and returning it to your Watercare representative.
Steps to complete your work pack - Scope the work and fill in the job safety analysis form (JSA)
- Attach relevant work permits
- Include any supporting documents
- Return the work pack to your Watercare representative
- Scope the work and fill in the job safety analysis form (JSA)
- Attach relevant work permits
- Include any supporting documents
- Return the work pack to your Watercare representative
Work pack instructions and documentation Risk assessment
All work undertaken on a Watercare operational site or asset must have a risk assessment.
Note: Contractors may insert their own job safety analysis template into section 6 of the Watercare JSA template, provided it contains a similar risk assessment framework as the Watercare version.
Permit to Work
Depending on the work activity, you may also require a work permit.
Use the Permit to Work decision trees in the job safety analysis – user guide to determine if your work requires a permit.
Permit to Work:
Permits:
Isolations
All isolation of our assets must be planned with your Watercare representative.
Only personnel who have been trained and are competent in the isolation process can lock out operational equipment.
Contractors must verify that all hazardous energy has been isolated prior to commencing work.
To request an isolation, fill in the request selection of the Isolation Certificate and give to your Watercare representative.
Control of work
Our control of work system provides the tools and framework for how we manage and authorise work. It’s our way of making sure all safety precautions are in place before work starts.
WorkSafe guidelines
We follow WorkSafe guidelines and codes of practice as our minimum risk controls. All employees including contractors must adhere to these requirements. Key requirements have been developed for risks that have specific organisational requirements, tools, or processes. Where there is a risk of serious or fatal injury or illness, we describe these hazards as significant and the risks as critical.
Risk assessment
All work undertaken on a Watercare operational site or asset must have a risk assessment.
Note: Contractors may insert their own job safety analysis template into section 6 of the Watercare JSA template, provided it contains a similar risk assessment framework as the Watercare version.
Permit to Work
Depending on the work activity, you may also require a work permit.
Use the Permit to Work decision trees in the job safety analysis – user guide to determine if your work requires a permit.
Permit to Work:
Permits:
Isolations
All isolation of our assets must be planned with your Watercare representative.
Only personnel who have been trained and are competent in the isolation process can lock out operational equipment.
Contractors must verify that all hazardous energy has been isolated prior to commencing work.
To request an isolation, fill in the request selection of the Isolation Certificate and give to your Watercare representative.
Control of work
Our control of work system provides the tools and framework for how we manage and authorise work. It’s our way of making sure all safety precautions are in place before work starts.
WorkSafe guidelines
We follow WorkSafe guidelines and codes of practice as our minimum risk controls. All employees including contractors must adhere to these requirements. Key requirements have been developed for risks that have specific organisational requirements, tools, or processes. Where there is a risk of serious or fatal injury or illness, we describe these hazards as significant and the risks as critical.
Get in touch
If you have any questions about health, safety or wellbeing, call us (09) 442 2222 or visit our contact us page.
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