The Dunedin City Council could face an increase in Accident Compensation Corporation premium payments, after two workplace accidents within weeks drew the attention of police and the Department of Labour.
The two accidents occurred last August, when a subcontractor working at the Dunedin Centre injured a hand in an unguarded conveyor belt and a council water and waste services (WWS) unit employee crashed a council truck on State Highway 88.
Documents released to the Otago Daily Times under the Official Information Act show the Department of Labour issued a written warning to the council over the subcontractor's injury because the council had failed to adequately guard a conveyor belt being used to load catering supplies.
The more serious truck crash - in which the council's WWS employee escaped injury - was nevertheless categorised as a serious harm incident by the department, and led to an improvement notice being issued by Dunedin police.
The notice gave the council a deadline by which to improve the way it managed worker fatigue, as the mid-afternoon crash occurred after the employee had been called out during the night to fix a broken water pipe.
Council human resources manager Bruce Miller said both accidents had already prompted changes, and a review of council health and safety procedures was ongoing.
The accidents would "undoubtedly" form part of an ACC audit next month, which occurred every two years and determined the council's employer premium payments.
The council paid $440,148 each year in ACC premiums, including a 20% discount for tertiary accreditation - considered the "gold standard" for workplace safety - earned in previous audits, Mr Miller said.
It was "possible" the discount could now be under threat, Mr Miller said.
"I hope not. It's possible.
"We'll find out fairly soon I guess." He defended the council's overall health and safety performance as "very good" despite the August accidents.
Department of Labour statistics showed the council notified two accidents classed as "serious harm" incidents - an event category, rather than an indication of the injuries that resulted - between 2006 and 2010.
The incidents were when a rural fire worker "fell over and injured their leg" in 2006, and the August truck crash.
The injury to the subcontractor loading catering supplies was not considered a serious harm incident by the department, despite the police improvement notice.
The statistics did not cover all types of departmental contact and investigations involving councils, but showed the Dunedin City Council serious harm record compared favourable with other councils around New Zealand.
Fifty-one councils together notified 323 serious harm incidents between 2006 and 2010, resulting in 155 investigations and 14 enforcement actions, ranging from written warnings to one prosecution.
