At Programmed Facility Management, the work our teams do every day helps keep Auckland’s public spaces clean, safe and welcoming. From maintaining parks and cycleways to caring for cemeteries and community facilities, our people spend much of their time outdoors and working in the heart of the community.
Because of this, protecting their health, safety and wellbeing is always a priority.
Over the past few years, our teams supporting Auckland Council have continued to strengthen their approach to safety. The focus has not just been on meeting requirements, but on building a culture where people feel supported, heard and protected while doing their jobs.
A key part of this has been strengthening safety leadership across operational teams. Leaders are currently working through personal safety leadership development plans and taking part in targeted training designed to build capability in identifying and managing risk. These initiatives are helping leaders take a more proactive role in safety by spending time in the field with crews, listening to their experiences and gaining a better understanding of the environments they work in every day. Through digital safety tools, leaders can also record observations and insights during site visits, helping teams identify risks earlier and respond more quickly.
At the same time, there has been a strong focus on early injury prevention. By partnering with health providers and offering proactive access to physiotherapy, team members are encouraged to raise minor strains or concerns early and receive support before they develop into more serious injuries. This preventative approach helps keep our people well and ensures they can continue doing their jobs safely.
Working in busy public environments can sometimes bring additional challenges. In high-traffic areas such as cycleways, crews may be working alongside members of the public moving at speed. To help manage this, the team has implemented enhanced traffic management-style measures, including improved signage, cone systems designed to slow approaching cyclists and additional crew members supporting safe work zones. These steps help create safer environments for both workers and the public.
Employees who work in environments where they may encounter difficult situations are also provided with de-escalation and anti-aggression training. This helps team members manage challenging interactions safely and confidently, while reinforcing that their wellbeing always comes first.
Looking ahead, several initiatives are being developed to further support the wellbeing of outdoor crews. One of these includes workplace skin checks for employees who spend the majority of their time outdoors. With New Zealand experiencing some of the highest skin cancer rates in the world, early detection can make a significant difference. The team is also exploring ways to provide temporary shaded break areas for crews working in exposed environments, creating spaces where people can rest, connect and stay protected from the elements during their breaks.
Programmed is also taking steps to ensure safety information is accessible to everyone. For employees whose first language is not English, key safe work procedures are being translated into multiple languages so that all team members clearly understand the tasks they are performing and can contribute to making them safer. This approach supports both better safety outcomes and a more inclusive workplace.
Safety is never a finished job. It’s an ongoing journey built on listening, learning and continually improving. By focusing on leadership engagement, early intervention, wellbeing initiatives and inclusive communication, Programmed is working to ensure the people who maintain our communities every day are supported to work safely and confidently.
Because when our people are looked after, our communities are too.
