Fenton Darien: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Fenton Darien: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 19 March 2013. Volume:688;Page:8608. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
6. 
DARIEN FENTON (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Transport 
: Does he have confidence in KiwiRail’s health and safety standards; if not why not? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (Minister of Transport) 
: 
 Yes but there is always room for improvement. 
Darien Fenton 
: Has he seen reports that 10 workers could have died of carbon monoxide poisoning during work for KiwiRail on the Kaimai tunnel last year; if so is he satisfied that KiwiRail followed proper safety procedure in this case? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I have seen a report on the incident that occurred in the Kaimai tunnel. I have seen a press release from the Labour Party suggesting that death could have occurred. I think the press release is somewhat alarmist. The people who were in that situation had been given instruction in gas awareness for tunnel work and adequate safety equipment was issued to all persons who were in the tunnel at that time. 
Darien Fenton 
: Is he aware that KiwiRail’s own investigation found some of the group were not trained in tunnel gas awareness as they were supposed to be and there was no KiwiRail staff member in charge to issue safety gear and train the workers as per KiwiRail’s own instructions? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: What I am aware of is that the person in charge of the contracted group had just completed tunnel gas awareness training and been certified as competent. The second group of concrete resin injection specialists although not specifically trained in tunnel awareness were under the direct supervision of the trained contractor and they did comply with the rules. At the time of the incident they were trained as was the requirement at the time. KiwiRail has conducted significant investigations into this and all of the recommendations from those considerations are being implemented. 
Darien Fenton 
: Is he aware that the workers were exposed to high levels of gas because they exited the tunnel in the wrong direction and that KiwiRail’s own investigation found this was because the evacuation plan was not created appropriately? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I am aware that there was a section of the track in the middle of the tunnel that was not available to be used and therefore exits had to be at either end of the tunnel and that the KiwiRail investigation does not specifically find that but rather that there could be better plans for the future and those most certainly will be enacted. 
Darien Fenton 
: Given his findings does he believe KiwiRail’s approach to health and safety is adequate; if not what action will he take as shareholding Minister to make sure another incident like this or worse does not occur? 
Hon GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I not only believe that their approach to health and safety is adequate I think it is excellent. You will note or the House can note that on the two measures—time injury frequency rate and medical treatment injury frequency rate—KiwiRail’s statistics have been improving consistently over the past few years.