While work is underway

As a contractor, you are required to perform your work in alignment with the University's policies, values, and standards.

Your requirements to sign in and out when attending our sites

On arrival at one of our campuses, you must sign into our visitor management system (SecurePass). This can be done by signing in at one of the kiosks, or by scanning the QR code located at the entrance of each building.

Kiosks are located at the locations below.

Site	Kiosk location
Kelburn campus	Security office at 4 Waiteata Road.
Rutherford House	Info desk, located on the ground floor.
Old Government Buildings	Security office on the ground floor.
Te Aro campus	Security office on the ground floor.
Halls of residence	In each student accommodation reception.

Keeping your workspace tidy

Keep your workspace clean and safe by disposing of rubbish, avoiding hazards, and using well-maintained tools that have up-to-date safety checks.

Remember to:

Check for potential contamination of drains, ventilation, or other systems and take necessary precautions.
Keep floors clear to avoid slips, trips, and falls.
Organise and secure cables to reduce risks.
Clean up spills immediately.
Never leave equipment or materials unattended.
Dispose of waste as you work.
Ensure corridors and doorways are kept clear.
Keep fire exits unobstructed at all times.
Do not leave materials or equipment unattended if they pose a fire risk.
Use safety barriers, lighting, and warning signs to prevent unauthorised access during work.

Safety of your tools and equipment

All tools and equipment you bring to use on site must be appropriately maintained and used safely in accordance with its designed purpose and all relevant standards.

You are responsible for ensuring that all electrical equipment this includes:

leads
portable power tools
junction boxes
earth leakage or residual current devices.

Navigating extra jobs, maintenance requests, signage and service isolations

Proactive trade services

We ask that you work with us to maintain a safe and well-kept environment for our building occupants and students.

Providing a safe and well-maintained environment for our building occupants and students is a key driver for our Property Services team and we see you and your organisation as an extension of our team.

We want you and your team to operate as our “eyes and ears” across our campuses.

If you see anything that is broken or not working correctly, raise a maintenance request with our Property Services Helpdesk on 0800 100 140 or email property-services-helpdesk@vuw.ac.nz.

There are two types of maintenance requests you can raise:

For work that your organisation can do (e.g. you’re doing another job on site and see something else you can fix while there). This request will be reviewed by the relevant facilities manager.
For work that would be done by other contractors or University team members.

How to log a maintenance request

To log a maintenance request, please call our Property Services Helpdesk on 0800 100 140 or email property-services-helpdesk@vuw.ac.nz.

Communication and signage

The Property Services team has a range of maintenance signage—e.g. “Out of order” or “Please use another entrance.”

It's an expectation that contractors use them. These should be used when you need to temporarily close a thoroughfare for work to be completed or when a key building service isn't operating, like an automatic door or lift, or when you need to temporarily close a thoroughfare for work to be completed.

When these situations arise, collect, and display the appropriate signs. Contact the Property Services Helpdesk to arrange sign supplies, which can be collected from the Maru building at Kelburn campus.

Service isolations

The request for isolation of any fire protection system shall be issued in writing no later than five working days preceding the intended isolation to the relevant facilities manager.

For information on the location of isolation points, assistance will be provided by building plans and your facilities manager.

Any unapproved isolation is strictly prohibited as expensive equipment, research experiments and materials depend on a continuous supply of building services to be maintained.

What to do if someone asks you to do an extra job while on site

If someone asks you to complete an extra job while you are on site, please take one of the following actions:

If you or your company can do the work (e.g. you are an electrician, and the work is electrical)—call the Property Services Helpdesk and log a maintenance request.
If the work would be done by someone else—ask the building occupant to contact the Property Services Helpdesk.

What to do if your work order will likely cost more than $500

When the University issues you with a reactive maintenance work order, your organisation has pre-approval to incur up to $500. This pre-approved value includes all labour, materials, profit, and other costs that would be charged to the University. Your organisation requires approval from an authorised relevant university representative, e.g., the appropriate facilities manager, to incur any costs over and above the pre-approved amount.

Any queries relating to this should be directed to the appropriate facilities manager responsible for the building you are working on. Find your precinct's facilities manager.