The New Zealand Workplace Health and Safety Awards 2026
Celebrating the best of health, safety and wellbeing in New Zealand
WINNERS ANNOUNCED!
Stadium project takes out Supreme Award
The winners in the New Zealand Workplace Health and Safety Awards for 2026 have been decided.
The successful completion of Christchurch’s One New Zealand stadium, early and on budget and with no lost-time injuries, has seen BESIX Watpac take the supreme prize at this year’s New Zealand Workplace Health and Safety Awards.
Achieving zero injuries on a highly complex project involving almost 4000 workers was underpinned by innovation, including reducing work-at-height exposure by 90% by committing to assemble roof structures at ground level, and installing custom-designed trafficable safety nets to protect workers at a height of 63m.
Safeguard editor Peter Bateman, convenor of the five-person judging panel, said BESIX Watpac’s willingness to seek innovative solutions to long-standing construction risks is an example of how companies implementing major projects have an opportunity to lead their sector to new levels of health & safety performance.
The awards were presented at a gala dinner at the Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland on 23 June.
A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Mike O'Brien.
The awards, which began in 2005, are organised by Thomson Reuters, publisher of Safeguard magazine, and proudly supported by WorkSafe New Zealand and ACC.
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