Oh Sh*t - contractor's mistake wins award

It wasn't something he was too keen to reveal, but Mike from Mike Edridge Contractors can manage a good-natured chuckle about the Oh Sh*t award he won at the Nelson Marlborough branch of the New Zealand Contractors' Federation Awards.

Judged by Department of Labour health and safety inspector Peter Fisher, the award recognises an "oh s..." moment on a job and is based on people submitting pictures of embarrassing moments in contracting, such as diggers stuck in rivers and tipped rollers.

Mr Edridge wasn't sure which of his fellow contractors had dobbed him in.

The prize-winning moment happened when a driver was spreading gravel and accidentally rolled a trailer unit, crushing a farmer's fence.

"The driver thought he was putting the hoist up but he was putting the trailer up and he forgot his changeover switch," Mr Edridge said.

"He looked in the mirror and hello, the wrong hoist's gone up and she's heading sideways on him."

He said it had been an error by an experienced driver on a flat piece of road.

"Just one of those ones that's a bit embarrassing for him, really."

The eighth annual awards recognised excellence in contracting in the top of the south.

The projects entered ranged from a $21 million bridge over the Arahura River to removing a pedigree cow stuck in a boggy ravine.

The cow rescue was odd enough to win Nelson-based Taylors Contracting Co Ltd the Something Different award.

Overall Winner – Heb Structures Ltd for the Bridge 28 Hokitika over the Arahura River.

Category one, for projects up to $100,000 – Independent Kerb & Concrete for the relocation of the Kotaku War Memorial.

Category two, for projects between $100,000-$500,000 – Taylors Contracting Co Ltd for the Totara View Subdivision off Eighty-eight Valley, Wakefield.

Category three, for projects over $500,000 – Heb Structures Ltd for the Arahura Bridge redevelopment over the Arahura River - Bridge 28 Hokitika.

Oh Sh*t Award – Mike Edridge Contractors Ltd.

Health & Safety Award – Chambers & Jackett Ltd, project for the Daelyn Subdivision, Stoke.

Something Different Award – Taylors Contracting Co Ltd, project to free a cow stuck in the mud.