Auckland Council has launched an independent review to find out if there is a "pattern of failure" in health and safety at its ports.
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Pala'amo Kalati was fatally injured while working on a ship at Fergusson Container Terminal a fortnight ago.
The Maritime Union had called for a review and an end to 12-hour graveyard shifts.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said the fatal accident, preceded by one two years ago, and a serious injury were a cause for concern.
"While Maritime New Zealand has responsibility for health and safety on water, WorkSafe is responsible for incidents on land. This means there has been no across-the-board look at health and safety to see if there are systemic problems," he said.
"An independent review to examine the causes of the incidents is necessary to determine whether there is a pattern of failure in the health and safety measures that are in place at the port."
"The recent death at the ports is a tragedy we do not want to see repeated.
"While Ports of Auckland is a commercial entity with its own board, and ensuring the health and safety of workers is legally the responsibility of the port's board, council as the shareholder wants to ensure that health and safety provisions are fit for purpose and that adequate health and safety practices are being followed.
"The board has confirmed it is fully supportive and Ports of Auckland will cooperate with all aspects of the independent review."
Ports of Auckland board chair Liz Coutts said the death of the stevedore was devastating for his family, friends and workmates, and all of Ports of Auckland.
The review's terms of reference are being finalised by Auckland Council, with the independent reviewer or panel to be appointed shortly and the costs to be met by Ports of Auckland. The review is expected to be completed by the end of the year and will allow for stakeholder submissions.
'Culture of productivity over safety'
Maritime Union Auckland branch secretary Russell Mayn welcomed the review and said an improvement notice issued last week was the first he had seen in almost 50 years.
"Maritime New Zealand issued the port company with a remedial notice for the exclusion zone around the cranes," he said.
"First time I've seen one in my career at the ports, that's for sure, so it's not a small thing that. That's basically saying that those lashers shouldn't have been in that area in the first place, which is what we've said.
"We believe that the culture of productivity over safety has to be addressed immediately. We believe the hours of work have to be addressed immediately - that's the length of the third [night] shifts, and the number of hours that the company can ask stevedores to work on a seven-day basis."
As well as the two-port worker deaths, there have been serious injuries and the death of a swimmer after the company was found to have breached speed limits on about 99 percent of its trips.
The responsibility for health and safety in the workplace rested mainly with the company management, then the board, Mayn said.
"They are the people who are responsible to make sure that the proper health and safety is provided to workers in the workplace. If it isn't, then those are the people that we primarily, first of all, hold responsible.
"And then the regulators after that have to regulate to make sure that they are putting in place those protections that are required under law."
Action was needed urgently, he added.
"We can't have the review become one that goes out for nine months or something like that.
"I think what has to happen is that any systematic failures or anything that are identified there is immediate remedial actions put in place on an interim basis to remove those hazards from the workplace."