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DECEMBER 2012

On the job with Z

Good communication is key to the success of all businesses; in our communications with our contractors it is slightly challenging in that we work at arms length from them.

City Care, SKM and Gilbarco do a great job of

managing contractors on our behalf, but it’s easy for

messages around various activities, including safety,

to get diluted. This is why we recently held our

inaugural Z Contractors Forum.

The forum was attended by representatives of most

of the regular contracting companies we use either

directly or indirectly. The day started with a great

session from Mark Forsyth our GM Retail, who provided

his views on what Z stands for; what contractors can

expect from Z; and what we expect from our

contractors. For many we received very positive

feedback on this opportunity to hear directly from

the GM. This session was followed by an introductory

session that enabled many people who were only

acquainted by phone to get to know each other.

John Inkster from Gilbarco led a session on the

cultural survey that was undertaken earlier in the year.

This generated a great deal of discussion around the

findings, and was a useful opportunity for people to

think where they and their organisations fitted into

the spectrum of strengths and weaknesses.

A particularly useful session was held by Sam

Bridgman from SKM about HSSE problems.

Everyone had been requested to bring an HSSE

problem along and these were grouped into common

areas. Sam then focused on the “5 whys” to show

us how the root cause of an issue can be identified.

It was very interesting to separate the facts from

opinions in trying to get to the real root cause.

Another session led by Scott McCausland from City

Care looked at the topic of recognition. It was amazing

to explore how hard it is for people to recognise the

great things that get done in our businesses every day.

It was a real pleasure to hand out a few gift cards on

the day to people who have made a real difference.

The final session was a great opportunity to address

the “what next” question. Participants liked the idea

of the forum concept, and thought two forums a year

were a good idea, we even had a few volunteers to

develop the next one.

The key to the success of our efforts to improve

HSSE is to ensure we’re reaching the right people

– the people who actually do the work.

We need to make sure that the HSSE messages

do not get diluted or blocked as they go through

the layers.

If you think there’s more we can do to improve

our engagement and communications feel free

to drop me a line at [email protected].

Neil MoonEngineering ManagerZ Energy

Getting up close and personal


DECEMBER 2012 | PAGE 2

Sanson is a small town located where State Highways 1 & 3 merge just west of Palmerston North. Although the population is not large the town is a busy thoroughfare for the travelling public.

The ECL Group Brings Z to Sanson From Andrew Fear, National Project Manager, ECL Group Ltd

The service station in Sanson had been unchanged for 25 years so a facelift to the facility and the streetscape was welcomed by the town’s 400 plus residents.

The plan was for a Tier 1 outlet - a service station offering eight fuel lanes, four toilets and a retail store - plus a four lane truck stop.

The first challenge presented itself on day one. Rain, gale force winds and storms. The bad weather seemed to be ever present over the coming weeks, and the Met Service became our best friend, although not always totally reliable. This didn’t dampen our enthusiasm, although it did make us a bit worried about whether we could deliver the project on time.

Immediately after demolition we encountered our next challenge; we discovered a disused water well in the middle of the existing retail foundations. This 2.5m void was filled and compacted but this again had us question-ing whether we would be able to deliver on time.

In week two, another challenge emerged with a change to plans. After we’d battled through storms to erect the pre-cast panels to the new retail store, we were asked to provide another sizable window, 2.7m x 1.7m, within the panels on the front façade.

As all the pieces of the plan started to fall in to place weregained our momentum. That was until week four, this was where we met our biggest and most challengingchange. We were asked to help design and install a 20,000 litre underground facility to store and dispense Z DEC.

Z DEC (the DEC stands for Diesel Emission Cleaner) is Z’s latest commercial fuel related product. It’s a New Zealand made diesel exhaust fluid which, in conjunction with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology, is designed to reduce vehicle emissions. Check out z.co.nz/keeping-business-on-the-move/fuels/z-dec/ for more details on Z DEC.

Many un-budgeted and un-programmed hours were again consumed with the detailed planning, risk assessments and approvals needed to finalise this concept. We then had to procure all the specialised equipment required due to the hazardous and corrosive nature of the product. All parties rose to the challenge and worked collaboratively to complete this benchmark portion of the installation.

It’s worth noting that the ECL Group and our teams added to the Sanson’s head count by 20% for this scheduled 12 week knock down and rebuild project.

The ECL team outside Z Sanson, State Highway 1



Just as we thought our path to the finish line was to be unhindered, we came across two abandoned fuel tanks that had not been documented on any plans. These caused no real problem as we were used to dealing with this situation, but our timetable was again hindered and at risk.

I must applaud the outstanding performances of the entire group of sub-trades we engaged. The willingness and professionalism of these contractors was truly commendable. They worked around the clock in bad weather conditions to mitigate the impacts of the various challenges on the programme. The result; not only was the project delivered on time but we put into practice two innovative new concepts not found elsewhere in the

country. Z Sanson is the first of our sites to capture and reuse rain water from the canopy to service the ablutions, and to provide additional water for the emergency services in case of any disaster on site. The other innova-tion is the first Pet Pit Stop, which was being utilised within the first hour of opening.

The sheer experience and expertise of the ECL site management team and the unified alliance from Dan Bradley (SKM), David Snell (SHA), Neil Moon and all the Z stakeholders and associated consultants was the motiva-tion and explanation to us delivering a turnkey facility on the day promised! On budget! Safely!

Special thanks to all involved.

In my job I’m on the road a lot visiting Z’s retail sites across the country. Before each trip I complete a Journey Management Plan (JMP). These plans ensure that I comply with Z’s company policy and think about the journey and any hazards I may encounter during my trip.

Journey Management Plans Travelling safe and the ability to change the futureFrom Nick Penfold, Z Energy

I check the weather report for the region I’m driving in to see whether I’ll run into heavy rain or conditions cold enough to mean ice on the road. In my JMP I then note what actions I’ll take to counter the conditions whether it’s:

• driving well below the speed limit

• increasing my following distances, or

• driving with my headlights on to ensure that I would be seen more easily by oncoming traffic.

One part of the form that I used to fill in with some hesitation was the following question: “Locations to be avoided or where extra precautions are to be taken (e.g. road works or known locations with high accident rates)”. If I knew that the road was windy or narrow, I would usually write this down, however, I never had any idea whether the roads had a high accident rate. I have now made it my mission to find out and to en-sure that:

1. I am filling in the JMP as accurately as possible

2. I can actively think about my journey and decide if another route would be better to take, and

3. If another route is not possible then I’m forearmed with the knowledge that a certain stretch of road is dangerous and I should be more cautious.

The fount of much of this information can be found at kiwirap.org.nz. Head to the results section under the Risk Maps heading, it makes for interesting reading.

I encourage you to take the time to review and think about what this fore-thought and fore-knowledge can mean for you at work, and when you’re setting off with the family on a trip over the summer. You may be able to choose to avoid roads where there is a high accident rate, or at least anticipate where you might need to take extra care by lowering your speed and extending your following distances.

Forewarned is forearmed.

Safe driving!



Stores KaizenFrom Barry Brosnahan, Strategic Account Manager, Gilbarco Veeder-Root

Gilbarco Veeder-Root is currently reviewing their inventory management practices, and as a first step the central store underwent a Kaizen (continuous improvement) initiative.

Led by Anna Claire Klette DBS Director ANZ, a team from sales, field, management, stores and administration from across New Zealand and Australia, and a guest from Leica Biosystems was assembled to do a ‘makeover.’

The main objectives were to:

• improve safety

• improve layout and picking process

• implement visual management systems to trigger stock re-order (kanban)

• reduce the amount of obsolete stock.

Ground Zero

As the ‘before’ shots clearly show, the scale of the task was enormous with an alarming number of hazards identified. These included:

• Unsafe racking in main store and on mezzanine, both earthquake risks

• Stairway access to mezzanine, a potential safety issue

• A cluttered work environment requiring repostioning of stock to access other stock items for distribution creating– safety issues and– performance inefficiencies

The results

As a result of the Kaizen process we:

• replaced three storage racks that did not meet seismic standards

• cleared the mezzanine floor to prevent use of stairs to pick parts

• improved lighting in stores

• relocated all small goods into one location by product type

• implemented visual management consisting of a two bin kanban system

• set up a separate underground petroleum piping storage and pre-work area including fitting and overflow location

• created clearways for improved safe handling and distribution

• set up a packing bench with touch screen PC for ready access

• $800,000 obsolete stock identified and disposal commenced.

It’s been a sobering experience, but one that made us determined to continue improving our inventory management practices. The proof, as they say, is ‘in the pudding’. The ‘after’ shots clearly show the improvements in the central stores layout.

Stay tuned for further supply chain kaizens!



It might sound simple enough but the location of the tank and the impact of liquefaction made re-tanking much trickier than usual. The former tanks included a 50,000 litre 91 petrol tank which was located right outside the shop front and under the four metre canopy. This tank was also very close to Barrington Street, a busy road in this part of town. To add to this complexity, the groundwater was half a meter beneath ground level and the soils were expected to subside.

We considered slurry filling the tank due to the removal difficulties; however this is a last resort for Z.

The earthquake damage meant that the backfill had been ejected previously, through liquefaction, so the tank was half expected to “pop” when the slab was removed.

To tackle this we devised a plan which involved two 20 ton cranes, an excavator, and a truck on standby with hard-fill. The canopy was also supported by bracing.

The cranes were positioned at each end to apply the initial lift. The excavator was used to steer the tank to ensure it did not hit the shop or the canopy poles. The tank was able to be lifted by the lifting lugs which had sufficient strength to take the weight of the tank.

The tank was slowly edged out away from the Barrington Street boundary. One crane then moved adjacent to the other to provide support for the final part of the lift.

Given the risk of subsidence due to the existing ground conditions, the hard-fill was immediately backfilled into the tank pit. This was able to be compacted as required.

This technically difficult removal was completed without any damage to the canopy or shop.

It was also completed without any safety incidents.

The success of this removal shows the benefit of thinking through technically difficult tasks and having the right equipment on site to complete works.

A very difficult tank removalBy Eddie Tomkinson and Keith Braithwaite, PSL

The aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes continues and we’re currently re-tanking the Z Barrington site in Christchurch following damage to the existing tank.

Photo credit goes to Mark Ballard, ERM.


Waste not want notFrom Sam Bridgman, SKM


This work will involve monitoring a few key sites to assess:

• the amount of waste sent to landfill

• the amount of waste sent for recycling

• current waste management practices on site

• the composition of waste sent to landfill.

These initial studies will allow us to identify opportunities to reduce waste across the construction programme.

If you have any ideas on how we can reduce waste at our construction sites please ensure you get in touch with us via [email protected] or your site manager.

As part of this research Sam Bridgman (SKM) worked with Cassidy Construction to audit the contents of the first waste skip to be filled at the Z Vivian Street site. Interestingly 16% of waste in the bin was deposited by members of the public who dumped rubbish over the fence at night. It probably doesn’t help that the site has many student flats around it and that at this time of the year students are starting to move out. Overnight a couch, mattress, chair and mop all turned up!

Over the remaining waste 81% (350kg) was timber mainly from the boxing. Another waste audit will take place following the fit out of the shop.

At Z we’re undertaking a waste audit to understand the waste produced from the Z Retail Construction Programme.

Z Vivian Street Construction. Waste Audit.Composition (kgs, %)

Paper, 3.32, 1%

Plastics, 12.46, 3%

Putrescibles, 1.28, <1%

Ferrous metals, 60.92, 14%

Non-ferrous metals, 0.45, <1%

Glass, 1.41, <1%

Textiles, 0.80, <1%

Rubble/concrete etc., 1.46, 1%

Timber, 351.30, 81%



Being a good neighbourFrom Neil Moon, Z Energy

Zero harmFrom Neil Moon, Z Energy

Dumb ways to die

One of the things we’ll be working on running up to Christmas is looking at the way we communicate with our neighbours during the construction process.

In the past we’ve left this to the individual contractors to let the neighbours know work is beginning and who they can contact if there are any issues.

We want to coordinate this approach so that we ensure

we begin our neighbourhood relationships with honesty, transparency, inclusiveness - a ‘no surprises’ approach which reflects our Z values.

Our aim is to have a new way of engaging with our neighbours in place by the end of the year, so we start the New Year with projects with our best foot forward.

We’ll share more with you as plans come together.

That’s why we insist on a few simple safety measures from everyone – our staff and our customers. When you think about it, this stuff is mainly common sense.

At Z we take personal responsibility for making health and safety a vital part of our business.

Health and safety matters because in its essence, it’s about the safety and wellbeing of people and our planet while sustaining the long term future of Z.

One of the ways Z demonstrates its commitment to a safe and healthy environment is through its promise to the Zero Harm workplace pledge.

The Zero Harm workplace pledge means we undertake to do everything we can to ensure:

• we hold ourselves accountable before our peers by sharing our health and safety performance

• constantly improve our health and safety performance

• champion health and safety – inspiring our people, suppliers and customers to create Zero Harm workplaces

• build workplaces which guarantee reported incidents will be investigated and action taken.

We were delighted to be the hosts for the Zero Harm Forum held in mid-November, a meeting of CEOs and HSSE operational managers who are committed to Zero Harm. It provided a great opportunity to discuss the health and safety challenges faced during the rebrand.

We want our Z service stations to be a part of the communities they serve. That has to start from day one of construction.

Safety’s our top priority. End of story.

See the rebranding story at Z Constable Street by viewing the time lapse video works. Go to:

youtube.com/zenergynz and click on Z Site Rebrand.

Here’s a unique take on getting an important safety message across from Melbourne Metro. Check out their video clip and get the tune stuck in your head too!

dumbwaystodie.com



The team at Mansfield Installations Limited (MIL) let their machismo shine through for a good cause when they signed up for Movember.

MIL challenged their contractors to do the same with all proceeds going to a men’s health charity and a goodie pack including a pressie voucher for the winning mo’. Here’s a couple of photos to show how they’re getting on part way through the month!

The competition not only raised money for a good cause, it’s been a great team building exercise for all staff – with ‘Mo Sistas’ taking part as judges.

MovemberFrom Glenda Mansfield, Mansfield Installations Limited

Recognition From Shane Wilson, Chubb New Zealand Limited

However, in a small operation it’s a bit harder to single out one person. It’s about everyone in the team contributing and ensuring the culture is right. With that in mind I thought it was worth reviewing our national Chubb results for the past 15 months, which I think our whole staff can be proud of.

May 2011 - August 2012

• 459 reactive jobs, achieving 99.7% of KPIs

• 1,322 preventative maintenance jobs, achieving 99.8% of KPI’s

Achieving our KPI’s is crucial for the Chubb Z partnership as it ensures building warrant of fitness documentation is completed on time.

Having attended the inaugural Z Contractors’ Forum, I’ve been thinking about recognition and its importance. Chubb Australasia run a recognition program and it is very well received by all staff.

We would love to hear what you think: Whether that’s about this newsletter or issues raised in this edition; what you would like to see in future editions; Z Energy generally; the fuel industry; doing business with us, or even doing business in New Zealand.

We welcome all letters to the Editor. If you would like to submit a letter for possible publication in On the job with Z, you can email us on [email protected]

Our next issue will be in March, so send your letters and suggestions to us by Christmas.

Until then, have a safe and happy holiday season.

We want your feedback and suggestions

Neil Grimson, South Island Manager Phil McShane, Palmerston North team

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