Safety Doesn’t Just Happen: Building a Culture of Excellence at McLeod
- Scott McLeod
- Mar 15
- 3 min read
At McLeod, we don’t just talk about safety - we live it. Safety isn’t an afterthought or a box to tick; it’s the foundation of how we work. We believe that a true safety culture is built into every process, every decision, and every action. It’s about doing things the Right Way - guided by best practices, rigorous training, and a relentless commitment to excellence.
Qualifications Are Just the Start
For us, a qualification is the key to the door - but it’s training and competency that open it. Take crane operations, for example. At McLeod, the journey to becoming a skilled operator begins long before anyone steps into a crane cabin. It starts in the classroom, where our team collaborates with industry experts to master the theory of rigging, crane control, and load dynamics.
From there, we head to the yard. Under the watchful eyes of seasoned operators, our trainees transform theory into practice. They learn the nuances - acting as spotters, rigging diverse loads, and mastering crane communication through radios and hand signals. This hands-on experience builds not just skill, but confidence and intuition.
Back in the classroom, we lock in that knowledge with assessments. Combine this with rigorous onsite competency evaluations, and you’ve got the makings of an exceptional Dogman. The best of them? They move onto cranes, carrying their ground-level expertise to the controls of some of the most powerful machines in our industry.
Beyond the Controls
Operating a crane isn’t just about lifting loads - it’s about understanding the machine inside and out. At McLeod, our operators are trained to drive and maintain these assets, which are among the largest and heaviest on New Zealand’s roads. Often left-hand drive and towering over typical traffic, cranes demand respect. That’s why we buddy-train our operators, teaching them to navigate streets safely, anticipate public behavior, and arrive at sites ready to perform.
You’ve likely seen our cranes on the move, escorted by pilot vehicles. Piloting is another skill we take seriously. As operators of heavy vehicles, we’re privileged to use New Zealand’s infrastructure, and we follow strict rules to protect roads and bridges from our weight. This can mean temporary road closures or slowed traffic - small prices to pay for safety and integrity.
Our pilots play a critical role, managing traffic flow and keeping the public safe and informed during these movements.
Competence Takes Time - and Intention
Once on site, crane operators don’t just jump in. They grow into their roles, learning the unique capabilities of each machine. From classroom foundations to yard practice to real-world application, they develop the judgment needed for safe, effective lifts. A key part of this? Assessing the ground conditions and determining the right crane support to ensure stability. Then there’s the complexity of counterweights and ballast, tailored to each lift configuration.
This expertise doesn’t come from a textbook or a quick certification. It’s forged through training, experience, feedback, and continuous learning.
At McLeod, we don’t settle for “good enough.”
We competency-assess, correct, and refine. We audit our Safe Operating Procedures and lift plans to ensure what we promise is what we deliver—every time.
Safety Is a Journey, Not a Destination
We never stop learning because safety never stops mattering. It’s our number one priority, and it’s why McLeod crane operators, Hiab operators, and lift supervisors are the best in the business. With unmatched integrity and deep knowledge, they bring safety and precision to every job.
Week in, week out, we complete 900 jobs safely across New Zealand. That’s not luck - that’s a culture of excellence in action.
When you partner with McLeod, you’re choosing an industry leader that doesn’t just meet standards but sets them. Your site stays safe today, and we pave the way for a stronger, safer tomorrow.
Job done - the McLeod way.
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