Powerco wins Public Safety Award at the EEA Awards

Powerco’s commitment to keeping people safe around electricity infrastructure has been recognised at the annual Electricity Engineers’ Association (EEA) Awards, with the company taking home the Public Safety Award.

The award was presented at the EEA Conference yesterday, in Ōtautahi Christchurch, for Powerco’s initiative to make safe working distances around its underground and overhead electricity assets clearer and easier to understand.

Previously, safety information was available only in dense text formats (in tables, written guidelines or external links), which could be difficult for people outside the industry to interpret.

In response, Powerco developed simple, visual diagrams that show when people need to apply for a close approach consent (CAC) or have a stand over when working near its assets.

Powerco General Manager Corporate Services, Jemma Gerring, says the diagrams have filled an important communication gap.

“Hitting an underground gas pipe or electricity cable can cause serious injury or worse. We wanted to make sure safety information wasn’t just technically correct, but also accessible to everyone. By creating clear, visual diagrams, we’ve removed unnecessary complexity and improved public understanding of safe working distances,” she says.

The new diagrams have been embedded into Powerco’s CAC form, published on its website, and shared with staff and contractors to ensure consistent use. Feedback from other electricity distribution businesses has also been positive, with peers recognising the diagrams as a valuable resource for the wider industry.

More information on Close Approach Consents can be found here.