Electric shock, amputation at $300m Christchurch Justice Precinct work site

The $300m precinct opened about a year and a half later than scheduled. Photo / 123RF

Sliced and amputated fingers, loads dropped from cranes, and electric shocks are just some of the 14 accidentsbrought before WorkSafe from Christchurch's Justice Precinct project.

The $300 million precinct opened three weeks ago after more than three years of building.

It is the largest multi-agency government project in New Zealand's history.

A WorkSafe table obtained by NZME shows the first of the 14 accidents at the Justice Precinct was in October 2014, when an employee fell onto the concrete floor and fractured his knee, wrist and elbow.

In 2015 an employee broke his foot on a concrete block and by a concrete block and another's finger was crushed by a bundle of stirrups.

Last yeara tower crane lost partof its load when it hitanother crane, an employee was hit on the head by a falling hammer, and another sliced his hand when a window he was removing smashed.

Most of the tabled events - eight - are from this year. From May to June, an employee cut a finger and another needed a finger amputated. Two gas leaks were also reported.Since then, one employee's right knuckle was broken when it was caught in a ladder, a tower crane dropped its load 15-20m, a woman was shocked by an exposed cable and an excavator overturned.

WorkSafe is still reviewing the electrocution to determine whether to take further action.

Southern chief inspector Darren Handforth says overall, the number and nature of the accidents at the site is less serious than expected.

The Precinct's opening last month was half a year behind schedule, but Handforth says the sense of urgency onsite did not hinder site safety.

He also says "there's no indication fatigue contributed to the incidents".

E tu union construction spokesperson Ron Angel says a lot of unexpected issues at the site needed resolving, which would have made it harder to keep up with site safety.

He says he's "amazed" the number of accidents is so low considering up to 750 workers were on site each day, and "it's a very complex build with a huge variety of contractors".

A spokesperson for the main contractor, Fletcher Construction, says "thousands of people have worked at the Justice Precinct during the past three years but any injury is one too many".

WorkSafe says "a notifiable event is when a death, a notifiable illness or injury, or a notifiable incident occurs as a result of work".