Unguarded shredder claims limbs

An operator had his legs and an arm amputated after being dragged into a green waste shredder.

Manawatu Waste Ltd employee Christopher Fromont got his foot caught in the rotating cutting discs while attempting to clear a blockage with his feet by getting into the hopper of the shredder while the cutting discs were going.

Workplace services manager for Taranaki, Brett Murray described the machine as a "disaster waiting to happen".

Murray said that there were no documented guidelines or procedures for clearing blockages. The machine also had insufficient guarding to ensure operators could not access dangerous parts of the machine while it was in use.

"With the best of intentions, Mr Fromont appears to have adopted this extremely dangerous work method by default, as he could see no other way of unjamming the discs," Murray said. "He advised New Zealand's Department of Labour that he would climb into the hopper of the shredder while the cutting discs were operating "about every second time' he used it."

The company was convicted and sentenced for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure that Fromont was not exposed to hazards from operating the shredder. The company was fined $10,000 and ordered to pay $30,000 in reparations.

Following the incident at Manawatu Waste, the Department inspected other industrial shredders around New Zealand. Urgent improvements were ordered for two other sites which were found to have guarding issues for shredders and conveyors.

"Employers must never take it for granted that employees know the right or safe way to carry out tasks," Murray said. "The more dangerous the work activity, the more vigilant they must be to build a culture of safe work practices."

Under the HSE Act, most employees have the right to refuse to carry the work if they believe on reasonable grounds it is likely to cause them serious harm.