C3 New Zealand, part of LINX Cargo Care Group, has won the prestigious Best Collaboration Between PCBUs Award at the 2021 New Zealand Workplace Health and Safety Awards.

Announced at last night’s gala dinner in Auckland, hosted by Safeguard Magazine and supported by WorkSafe New Zealand and ACC New Zealand, C3 New Zealand beat an impressive collection of finalists to claim the title for the first time.

The awards recognises C3’s work leading a complex and detailed non-routine operation at the Port of Tauranga in August and September 2020. Set against the backdrop of the global pandemic and faced with potential critical risks including mobile plant, heavy lifting, falling objects, working at height, biosecurity and hazardous substances, the team worked with multiple stakeholders to safely discharge nearly 40,000 tonnes of stowed logs from the stricken MV Funing.

C3 New Zealand and Pedersen Group COO, Gavin Hudson, said while C3 was named the winner, the success of the project hinged on the united and collaborative approach from each of the stakeholders.

“We pride ourselves on our strong and collaborative working relationships with our customers, partners and suppliers. For us, this award recognises not just our work but all of those involved in what was a high-risk operation that has rarely – if ever – been undertaken anywhere in New Zealand.

“We thank all of those involved, including Swire Shipping, Quadrant Pacific Agencies, Genera Biosecurity and the Port of Tauranga for their support, insights and efforts. The trust placed in us to overcome the challenges presented and deliver safely is what we’re most proud of,” said Hudson.

Testament to the operation’s success was that despite the extensive risks and challenges, not one incident or injury was reported, and all the logs were successfully discharged and restowed in line with all operational guidelines and governance requirements.