Now is the time – A clear message from the Civil sector

We know that putting the worker at the forefront of worksite planning is key. Executive General Manager for Zero Harm, Barry Bignall, Downer NZ, put it best when he spoke at the conference and said “this is the Civil Contractor’s watershed moment,” putting high vis on workers on the side of our roads is not enough, it is up to us as an industry to take on the challenge of implementing best practice that considers the workers safety first.

For many contractors both big and small this can become a daunting task with numerous processes to implement, products to purchase and reports to write.  For Vanguard it was great to hear from so many attendees that they find it very valuable to talk through the first steps and have someone who will listen to their specific worksite safety concerns.

The title of the conference was “Navigating the Future”, which for many businesses not just civil contractors is always a challenge. Extra pressure on time, cost and health & safety regulations has made navigating the future a constant juggling act.  Simon Bridges, Leader of the National Party, also spoke at the conference about the Governments role in planning for the future, with the ability to change priorities and give more certainty.
He discussed the importance of the Government putting together strong plans for New Zealand’s infrastructure in the coming years, which will help businesses to navigate the future with additional confidence and stability.

Whilst there were many more messages we took from the conference one last one to share with you is from Mike King, “You may not be able to take another persons problem away, but you can be there to listen and go with them if they need help of any kind.”

It’s always good to hear messages about taking care of your staff, colleagues, customers and fellow human beings.

Vanguard looks forward to continuing to learn more from the Civil and Roading industry.