A court sentencing over a man crushed to death in machinery highlights the human cost of businesses ignoring basic safety procedures, the Department of Labour says. The Department’s Workplace Christchurch Service Manager Margaret Radford says the accident was easily preventable.
RX Plastics Ltd of Ashburton was fined a total of $85,000 after admitting two offenses under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 – failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of an employee, and failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of employees in general.
No order was made for reparation, because RX Plastics had already made payments totaling nearly $218,000 to the victim’s family. Radford added RX Plastics also improved their workplace safety procedures to meet department requirements.
The charges related to an accident in March 2009 when an employee was leaning into a machine to remove a faulty pipe fitting. Safety mechanisms for the machine had been overridden and, when hydraulic equipment engaged, the man was trapped in the machine and was killed.
Department of Labour investigations revealed other items of machinery at the plant where safety mechanisms had been overridden, or safety guards had either been removed or could easily be removed. Radford said the RX Plastics case showed a disregard for safety mechanisms. (workersxzcompxzkit)
“Safety guards aren’t there for decoration. Yet in this case it seems there was a widespread lack of respect for the need to have them – and a man paid with his life for that," Radford said. "It’s a tragedy that it takes something like this for people to realize the importance of treating machinery with the respect it deserves.”
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers' Compensation costs, including airlines, health care, manufacturing, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. He can be contacted at: [email protected] or 860-553-6604.
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