A series of mishaps in council vehicles, including two near-miss head-on collisions, have prompted a renewed focus on staff fatigue and road safety in the Mackenzie.
The four incidents, recorded between July and September, were outlined in a health and safety report presented to councillors by general manager of people, customer and cultural relationships Alexis Kereikeepa at an audit and risk meeting on September 29.
The first was a near-miss head-on on Middle Valley Rd, where an oncoming van approached on the wrong side of the road, the report said.
“[The staff member] hit the brakes and swerved to the left-hand side, just missed the oncoming van by inches as it cut the corner.”
The second, also a near-miss, involved another vehicle on the wrong side of the road, with Kereikeepa saying dangerous overtaking appeared to be a common theme in the district.
“[The] staff member had to brake hard and move off the road to avoid a head on collision, due to a vehicle dangerously overtaking on a corner and being fully on the wrong side.”
Both incidents were reported to police via the 105 channel.
Kereikeepa’s report said a third incident involved a council vehicle that hit a tree in low light, with adverse weather conditions contributing.
“[They] couldn’t stop in time due to the wet road and limited visibility with normal headlights. High beams were unable to be used due to an oncoming vehicle,” it said.
And the last incident saw a staff member run out of fuel travelling from Twizel to Fairlie last month, prompting Fairlie colleagues to fill two jerry cans and drive to help.
A council spokesperson said all four staff worked on the operational side of the council, with three having completed an advanced driving course and the fourth to partake in the coming weeks.
The spokesperson said the course helped staff respond to incidents quickly and appropriately.
Kereikeepa said four additional staff would complete the course over the coming weeks.
The report prompted discussions about how to manage staff fatigue and safety on the roads, with mayor Scott Aronsen questioning if a new policy was needed to manage staff safety on the roads.
“If we have to introduce a new policy then we will do so.”
Chief executive Angela Oosthuizen said she was happy to put a system in place to monitor staff fatigue, noting driving risks were difficult for the council to manage.
“The biggest risk is driving, and it’s meetings, and it’s after-hours meetings and some councillors also have a day job,” she said.
“[It’s] Really hard for council to manage that.”
She urged staff to consider driving conditions and their own fatigue, saying nothing was more important than their safety.
Tekapo ward councillor Sue Allen reiterated this, emphasising the importance of reporting events to police, saying it helped them understand behaviour, trends and resource requirements for making the district safer.
“Please, everybody in this room, if you have a near-miss or any accident or anything, please ring 105 ... Every report that we have on 105, the more likely we are to get more help within the community.”
- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air
