Builders on top of Workdek safety decking set up on a building site.
A prominent voice in New Zealand’s construction industry has issued a strong warning to government and sector leaders, suggesting that proposed regulatory reviews are focusing on the wrong priorities and ignoring the obvious risks to workers that could easily be addressed.
Auckland builder and Workdek founder David Grigor rejects any suggestions that easing health and safety (H&S) standards could be part of the solution. “Forget easing H&S standards,” he says. “Since 2012 the number of workers in the construction sector having to take a week or more off work because of an accident or injury has doubled. As an industry we should be acting now to up our game to ensure all our workers get home safely at the end of each day.”
Grigor’s intervention comes amid ongoing debate over a ministerial proposal to review scaffolding regulations. While some see the review as an opportunity to reduce compliance burdens, Grigor argues that attention should be directed at improving safety outcomes. “Shouldn’t we be focused on improving H&S outcomes?” he asked. Quoting Tina Wieczorek, CEO of SARNZ, he noted that “scaffolding regulations exist for a very clear reason – to prevent serious injuries and fatalities on worksites.” Chris Alderson, CEO of CHASNZ, has also pointed out that “New Zealand construction workers [are] less likely to die from a fall from height than their UK or AU counterparts.”
But for Grigor, those comparisons don’t go far enough. “Whilst the number of fatalities may be favourable in comparison to the UK surely that is not an acceptable benchmark for us as an industry,” he said. “Shouldn’t we take ownership to ensure all of our workers get home safely each day and that they are able to enjoy a long career in the sector without being riddled with pain by the time they turn 40.”
Drawing on 25 years of experience owning a building company in Auckland, he recounted seeing workers “falling off the top plate and banging themselves up” and hearing of “other lads having falls and hurting themselves, often severely.” He argues that despite well-intentioned initiatives launched in 2012, these types of accidents (that typically go unreported) continue to happen on a regular basis.
Back then, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) introduced the Preventing Falls from Height Programme, which emphasised scaffolding for external edge protection. Internally, the industry turned to safety nets. By 2013, WorkSafe had formalised guidance for nets, but Grigor argues the approach was flawed from the start. “MBIE’s goal was ‘preventing falls from heights’ – to stop the fall from occurring in the first place. Yet, somehow, we ended up with an internal fall protection solution intended to catch people after they fall….”
The outcome has been sobering. Citing WorkSafe’s 2024 work health and safety report, he highlighted that “falls remain one of the most persistent risks in construction — and in fact, the situation is getting worse.” He added: “Alarmingly, the number of ‘Week Away from Work’ (WAFW) injuries has doubled in the construction sector between 2012 and 2021.”
In his view, safety nets not only fail to prevent falls but also create “a false sense of security, encouraging riskier behaviour.” He described widespread issues with nets installed incorrectly, poorly tensioned, untested, or even unhooked to allow for ladders. “Very simply – nets have failed to have the intended effect,” he said.
As an alternative, Grigor points to the UK model, where internal working platforms are now mandatory and top plate work is prohibited. These systems, he noted, “eliminate ladder use, place workers in ergonomic, stable positions, [and] prevent falls rather than mitigate their consequences.” Research commissioned in 2024 by Workdek in collaboration with CHASNZ concluded that “using safety platforms on building sites does have the potential to significantly reduce the risk of injuries and improve the general wellbeing of employees.”
Cost remains a sticking point. “Yes – it is marginally more expensive than nets,” he acknowledged, estimating an extra $1,000 on a typical 200sqm single-level dwelling. But he countered with evidence from a 2025 independent productivity analysis which found that companies using decking “experienced savings on the cost of install and the time taken to complete the subsequent tasks of 23.7%.”
For Grigor, the conclusion is clear. “If we genuinely care about worker safety, then let’s stop settling for cosmetic fixes, endless dialogue and consultation papers and start making real change to protect our people.”
He anticipates criticism that his advocacy is self-serving given his role in the decking industry, but dismissed that view. “This has never been about trying to make a quick buck – if money had been the motivator, I would have continued to run a franchise for a national group home builder. Right from the start of this journey, I have been driven by the absolute belief that there has to be a better way to protect the men and women who work in our construction industry.”
The message he wants the sector to hear is simple: “Let’s stop thinking about catching our workers when they fall. Instead let’s focus on preventing them from falling in the first place. It’s a no brainer.”