COMPANY STATEMENT
On Friday 26 August 2022 five of our team were involved in a serious incident at a construction site
on Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter.
Our company’s primary focus following this incident has been to support our injured employees, their
families and the rest of our team. Throughout the investigative process, we have worked closely and
cooperatively with WorkSafe to ensure a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding the
event.
A barbeque had mistakenly been left running overnight in a shipping container used for storage on the
construction site. The next morning our workers opened the container to access their site-specific
PPE and commence work for the day. They could smell gas and one of the workers joked about
igniting his lighter. When he did, the gas caught fire and exploded.
WorkSafe investigations established this was a workplace prank gone wrong. All five workers,
including the man himself, were burned. He deeply regrets his actions and has participated in
restorative justice with the other victims. As of now, four of the workers have returned fulltime to their
roles at Vuksich and Borich while the man involved has chosen to resign from the company.
WorkSafe issued an improvement notice following the incident, which Vuksich and Borich complied
with. WorkSafe ruled that no further enforcement or any prosecutions would be made.
To further strengthen our safety management system, Vuksich and Borich has introduced a barbecue
permit procedure.
“The most important thing for us has been the welfare of our workers,” says Vuksich and Borich’s
Managing Director, Raymond Vuksich.
“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.” He continued.
“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. This incident
has enabled us to further strengthen our comprehensive safety management systems.”
“On behalf of the Vuksich and Borich team, I would like to thank ACC and the healthcare
professionals who have assisted with the rehabilitation of our workers, along with WorkSafe, for the
support they have provided to our team.”
Vuksich & Borich (NZ) Limited
Media contact: Helene Toury +64 (0)21 024 86944
