Shared learnings for better outcomes
Through its National Safety Forum, Northpower strengthened safety culture by enabling open discussion, shared learning and collaboration across teams.
Annual Report 2026
28 May 2026
Our people sharing their safety stories
In 2020, we rolled out our Critical Risk Control management programme, identifying 10 critical risks with the potential to cause serious, life-threatening harm.
The 10 critical risks include live electricity, moving vehicles, falling objects, working at height, public safety, mental health, fatigue, personal security, hazardous substances, and confined spaces.
To launch the programme, every single one of our then 1,200 people took part in a workshop focused on live electricity and the controls we put in place to keep our frontline crews safe.
Alongside those workshops, we began producing Critical Risk Stories – personal interviews with our people from right across the North Island. Real stories about near misses and high potential events, told by the people who lived them. People whose lives had been changed. Paralysed after falling from ladders. Permanently scarred after contact with electricity. Deep, personal stories shared so others understand what’s at stake. Each one a reminder that one shortcut, one slip, one omission, can change your life, and the lives of the people around you, for good.
I have the power
This year we returned with a second season of Critical Risk Stories, titled “I Have the Power”. It featured courageous people appearing on camera to have an honest reflection on why our critical controls exist and how each of us has the power to keep ourselves and our teammates safe.
Since November, these videos have been shown during monthly field staff safe team meetings, shared over email, and spotlighted on our intranet home page. Every single person here at Northpower watches, reflects, and discusses them together.
Stories from our people
Alan - Vegetation Field Service Coach from Whangārei
Twenty-three years ago, Alan’s life changed in an instant.
Late on a Friday, while removing trees from a farm, safety rules were overlooked – and one of those trees came crashing down on him. He woke on the ground in agony, waiting for rescue, not knowing if he’d survive.
The impact shattered his pelvis and left scars that his family, friends, and crew still carry today. Alan looked back on that day with one message for our people: “If something feels unsafe, you have the power to stop.”
Richard - Logistics & Facilities Delivery Manager from Hamilton
Richard shared a chilling near-miss where procedures weren’t followed and one of our team was almost crushed by heavy equipment falling from the back of a truck.
It was a stark reminder that the right equipment, careful planning, and the willingness to push back can make all the difference between a close call and a catastrophe.
Raj - Project Manager from Hamilton
A routine job turned into a life-changing accident for Raj as he looked back to an incident earlier in his career, when live-line work on a transmission line turned fatal for others and left Raj with burns to 17% of his body.
He revisited what went wrong, the injuries that followed, and the far-reaching impact felt across an entire industry and those close to him.
Nathan - Trainee Line Mechanic from Rotorua
While delivering equipment for a pole replacement job, Nathan and two colleagues took a wrong turn in a light utility vehicle.
Travelling up a steep hill with heavy hardware in the back, their vehicle flipped multiple times before coming to rest on its side. Nathan shared what happened and how the experience changed the way he thinks behind the wheel on the job.
Vern - Safety and Human Resources Field Services Manager from Auckland
In our most recent video Vern reflected on each of these stories and spoke from personal experience about why each of us has the power to speak up when something feels unsafe – and how our critical risk controls can mean the difference between going home at the end of the day and something far more serious.
Looking ahead to season three
We believe sharing stories like these is what helps us grow, and that openness and honesty can prevent others from making the same mistakes. As we plan for season three of Critical Risk Stories, we remain committed to giving our people the space to share, reflect and keep each other safe.
Because, we all have the power.
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