The Northland school under scrutiny after the death of a student during a trip to Abbey Caves has uncovered a problem affecting every pane of glass at its newly-built $50m campus – with the principal saying the wrong size of rubber seal was used in construction.
But, the principal insists, the school is not unsafe.
Whangārei Boys’ High School is under an improvement notice by WorkSafe after the death of 15-year-old Karnin Ahorangi Petera while on a class trip on May 9.
Petera was swept away by floodwaters after the trip was caught in forecast heavy rain.
WorkSafe is investigating the death, alongside police acting for the Coroner, and placed a prohibition on all high risk activities at the school.
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* WorkSafe issues school with ‘improvement notice’ after Abbey Caves death
* Abbey Caves school stops outdoor education trips, had overnight forest trip planned despite today’s heavy rain watch
It also issued a directive letter to the school in March after a teacher was seriously injured in the school’s workshop when using an unguarded roller machine.
It’s now emerged that every pane of glass at the school’s new $50 million campus is considered a hazard, due to the wrong size of rubber used in the joinery.
Whangarei Boys High School/Supplied
Whangārei Boys’ High School’s new facility includes numerous two-storey buildings with hundreds of panes of glass which now need repairs.
Stuff asked principal Karen Gilbert-Smith how many windows were affected. While she did not address that question, she did say in an emailed response that the school was safe – else the school and the Ministry of Education would’ve taken immediate action.
The rebuild, which opened in October 2022, includes two-storey buildings with offices and classrooms, an indoor cafe, a marae and an auditorium able to fit all 1360 students.
The project was funded and managed by the Ministry of Education and is currently in a defects period, where the new building work is tested to be fit-for-purpose.
Denise Piper/Stuff
Whangārei Boys’ High School principal Karen Gilbert-Smith says the joinery problem means there is a risk the glass could come out and she is glad it is being resolved. (File photo)
Gilbert-Smith revealed the issue at a Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday night.
According to Gilbert-Smith, incorrect rubber seals have been used in all the joinery, which meant there was a risk glass could come out.
“Particularly in some of the sliding doors – we’ve closed them and locked them so that they can’t be used,” she said at the meeting.
Gilbert-Smith said the contractor initially said the fault was due to students picking out the rubber, but she argued they would not have been doing that in front of teachers.
The board heard that the school had called in an aluminium expert, which found 4mm rubber seals had been used instead of the required 5.5mm.
Work to fix it will start on June 10 and will be managed by the Ministry of Education, she said.
“It’s great it’s finally being resolved,” Gilbert-Smith said at the meeting.
She told Stuff all council consents required for the school to occupy buildings have been provided.
Stuff has approached the main contractor, Leighs Construction, for comment.
