Get home safe.

That’s the simple goal we have for all of our team, but there is a hell of a lot of work that goes into making sure that is a reality day after day.

We have a strong and sustained focus on health and safety (H&S), and a lot of that is focused around our field team. This team are exposed to risks every day as they climb towers, work on roofs, battle the cold and heat (the former more than the latter), and fatigue can become a real issue.

There are many ways we constantly evaluate and enhance our H&S focus, but today was a first as our field team spent the morning with the awesome crew at the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter hanger, located at the Waikato Hospital. The aim of the rescue service is simple, to save lives. Able to be airborne within 10 minutes, capable of accessing virtually any location, and with a highly skilled medical crew that can provide medical treatment whilst en route to a medical facility. The timely assistance that rescue helicopters provide can reduce disability and improve survival.

Our aim today was to learn from the experts as to what we can do to improve the chance of a speedy recovery for our team in the event of an accident. We came away with a much clearer understanding of the information that should be provided to ensure speedy dispatch of the helicopter, and how to care for the victim as we wait for its arrival. These learnings are now being incorporated into our processes.

Thanks to Bill and the entire team at The Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopters who do an awesome job across our patch, not only the team in the air but the maintenance and admin team that work tirelessly and go above and beyond to make sure we have 24/7 rescue coverage.

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