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30 June 2025

Incidents where log trailers fell while being lifted, seriously endangering workers, have led to important safety changes on ports and at other sites where log trailers are lifted onto trucks.

The Port Health and Safety Leadership Group identified working with suspended loads as one of the key risks on ports in its Port Sector Insights Picture and Action Plan.The incidents with log trailers were a call to action for everyone involved to create solutions that will be applied on and beyond ports. Transport and stevedoring companies, Maritime NZ, WorkSafe and industry organisations were all involved, and port operators and others were kept informed.

The changes are:

• The Log Transport Safety Council has issued a safety alert to transport operators to upgrade hammerlocks and chains to heavier gauges. The alert also advises that the Council is reviewing and updating its code for checking lifting chains and clarifying who the code defines as ‘competent persons’ to carry out inspections.
• Prototype equipment and work practices for its use are being trialled at Picton and Nelson. These include a system of tethers, and truck lane and position indicators. The tethers stop log trailers moving when they’re lifted, removing the need for manual handling to try to control trailers while they’re off the ground. Lane and position indicators help drivers line trucks up correctly before trailers are lifted off the road and then again when trucks are reversed for the trailers to be loaded onto the trucks.

The incident and follow up

Maritime NZ was notified that lifting gear had failed while hoisting a log trailer at Picton. The trailer fell, narrowly missing workers.Maritime NZ inspected the work site and identified two related issues: the strength and inspection of the lifting equipment, and the work practices of drivers and stevedores working with suspended loads while lifting trailers.Collaboration with WorkSafe NZ confirmed that similar incidents had occurred outside ports, with log trailers falling when lifting equipment failed. The two agencies understood the solutions would be applicable to many work sites where logging trailers were lifted, not only on ports.Both the transport and stevedore company acknowledged the unsafe situation and demonstrated a strong commitment to correcting the issue.Maritime NZ accepted a voluntary agreement on the basis that it was confident the two companies involved would work together to develop solutions to manage the risk of working with suspended loads and lifting failure, in a way that included other transport companies.The Log Transport Safety Council, which is recognised as a trusted source of log transport research and industry knowledge, has been proactive with the findings and acknowledged this was an industry-wide issue. As a result, following this incident, the Council issued its safety alert.Both WorkSafe and Maritime NZ attended a recent Council meeting. They spoke about the incident, how all involved responded, and the prototype systems developed in collaboration by the transport and stevedore companies and being trialled at Port Nelson and Port Marlborough.Collaboration for a better outcomeThe Leadership Group says this is a very good example of the positive outcomes from a recommendation in its Action Plan. That is, that Maritime NZ be the regulator responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with health and safety legislation on ports, as well as on ships, and collaborate with WorkSafe to resolve issues, particularly where they have wider impact than solely on ports.The genuinely tripartite way the Leadership Group works together (industry, unions and regulators) has built trust and understanding.When these dangerous incidents occurred, those relationships helped all involved to collaborate, identify the risks and causes behind the incident, and then allowed industry-led, innovative solutions to be formulated.If you would like more information, please email [email protected].