The Auckland construction site after the explosion. Photo: RNZ/Nick Monro
A gas explosion that left five workers in central Auckland with serious burns because of a prank gone wrong is unusual, WorkSafe says.
Last August five people, some with critical injuries, were taken to Middlemore Hospital after an explosion at a construction site in Auckland's Wynyard Quarter.
WorkSafe said a barbecue gas bottle was mistakenly left running overnight in a shipping container.
When workers from subcontractor Vuksich and Borich opened the container the next day, they could smell gas.
One of the workers joked about igniting his lighter and when he did, the gas caught fire and exploded.
The man who ignited his lighter has expressed deep regret over his actions and undergone restorative justice with the other victims.
WorkSafe area investigation manager Paul Budd said it was the first investigation he had been involved in that was the result of a prank.
"It's unusual for a joke to go so terribly wrong. We don't get a lot of jokes that end up in WorkSafe investigations normally."
Being safe at work was a responsibility shared by both the employer and the employee, he said.
"No one should be harmed because of a prank or joke gone wrong.
"Our message is not about banning barbecues or restricting workplace socialising, but about keeping health and safety in mind whether you're on the clock or taking a break together."
Budd said it worked with Vuksich and Borich to give workers further training in the aftermath of the explosion and identified issues related to gas bottle storage.
"To further strengthen its safety management system, the company has since introduced a barbecue permit procedure and prohibits storage of gas cylinders or gas bottles inside shipping containers," he said.
"In relation to the incident itself we won't carry out further enforcement, because prosecuting an individual or organisation is not in the public interest in this instance."
Vuksich and Borich said it had improved its safety measures, including introducing a barbecue permit procedure following the incident.
It said its primary focus has been to support its injured employees, their families and the rest of the team.
"The most important thing for us has been the welfare of our workers," Vuksich and Borich managing director Raymond Vuksich said.
"We are a close-knit team with strong family values and we have done our very best to support our workers and their whānau throughout this ordeal.
"Workplace safety is a responsibility that we share with our workers and we continually strive to enhance our safety practices. No individual should face serious harm in their workplace."
Four of the workers had returned to full-time work but the man who pulled the prank chose to leave the company, Vuksich and Borich said.
WorkSafe Energy Safety's technical officer Paul Stannard said the incident was a reminder of the risks that existed with gas.
"If you smell gas anywhere, take it seriously.
"In some of the most significant gas-related events that have come to the attention of Energy Safety in the last few years, people have smelled gas but may not have recognised it as a warning sign."
