Christchurch's new Te Kaha stadium completed without major incident - WorkSafe

The construction of Christchurch's new Te Kaha stadium was completed with no major harm incidents, WorkSafe says.

The One New Zealand Stadium officially opened on Friday night to a full crowd of 25,000, after three years of construction.

The Crusaders took on NSW Waratahs in the first match of the Super Rugby Pacific 'Super Round', winning 35-20.

This weekend has been dubbed a 'Super Round', with 10 of the competition's 11 teams playing in Christchurch.

At the peak period of construction, WorkSafe said about 400 workers across various trades, operating at different stages and heights, were on site at one time.

"It was a big project, it was massive," WorkSafe inspector Sherry Peck said. "The significance is we had over three years of 400 people on site every day and working in so many different environments - high, low, people working around each other - it is amazing that we were able to come out of that with no serious harm, a huge success."

High‑risk work included a foundation pour using 117 truckloads of concrete in a single morning and installation of the roof structure 48 metres above ground.

Peck said safety was at the heart of the project from the beginning.

"There was really good conversations right from the start," she said. "WorkSafe was involved with the lead contractor right from the get-go and so the conversations that were occurring were really open, understanding.

"It's a big company that came from Australia [BESIX Watpac], our legislation is very different from what they were used to, so they wanted to ensure that they were meeting all their requirements.

"They were really open to any kind of conversation that we were able to have with them to help them achieve what has been able to be achieved."

Peck said the openness meant risks could be addressed early.

"When we identified situations where controls weren't sufficient, we raised them with the project team and worked through practical improvements together, tightening exclusion zones, improving sequencing and clarifying responsibilities.

"Where formal notices were needed, they were part of a wider learning process."

Peck said, if everyone understood their role and felt confident to speak up, safety became part of how the job was done.

Besix Watpac said it supported this through structured coordination with the entire workforce, including weekly health and safety meetings, attended by representatives from every subcontractor.

"Previously, some in construction had viewed WorkSafe as unapproachable, but on this project, we'd want to call the inspectors who were always there to offer support," Besix Watpac New Zealand general manager Wade Cummins said.

"I'm certain it helped change people's views.

"From day one, safety was embedded into every activity, with a strong focus on managing high-risk work, such as working at heights.

"Through collaboration with Christchurch City Council, innovation and targeted safety-first initiatives, the team kept safety front of mind. This was supported by the openness of WorkSafe to engage with us and assist, as we elevated safety standards."

The opening of the stadium marked the end of a more than 15-year wait, after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake in 2011 left Lancaster Park unusable.

The next game at One New Zealand Stadium kicks off at 5.05pm Saturday, when the Hurricanes take on ACT Brumbies.

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