Employers warned to identify hazards to NZ workers

The sentences recently imposed on New Zealand firm South Road Quarries and its Director Shane Kells underline the importance of effective hazard identification and electrical isolation according to the Department of Labour.

The company pleaded guilty to two charges under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of its employees while at work and failing to ensure that there are effective methods in place to identify existing hazards to employees at work.

Kells pleaded guilty to one charge that was laid on the basis that directors of companies are also personally liable where their company has breached any duty under the Act, where the director has been involved in the breach.

South Road Quarries Limited was fined a total of $30,000 and Kells was convicted and discharged.

In 2009, an employee of the company was injured while cleaning the rock-crushing plant at the quarry in South Taranaki. The crushing jaws from the rock crusher were removed to be serviced and the rock crusher was not being used at the time. While the worker was cleaning the rock-crushing plant, the power generator was switched on to carry out welding work. This supplied power to the conveyor that fed rocks to the plant being cleaned. A rock that was on the conveyor fell on the worker’s head.

The Department of Labour’s Regional Manager, Central, Brett Murray, said: “This accident could easily have been prevented if the company made sure that the conveyor was isolated from the main generator. Quarries are high-risk workplaces with many potential hazards and an area of focus for the department. All workplaces should have a system in place for identifying potential hazards to employees and action should be taken to eliminate, isolate or minimise these hazards.”