Company fined $20,000 after worker spends 92 days in a coma

Thursday 30 August 2001

The employer of a man who spent 92 days in a coma after a serious accident was fined $20,000 in the Christchurch District Court today.

The man, 63 years old, was a plant operator at L & M Mining Limited’s gold mine in Gore. He remains seriously ill, and is unlikely to work again.

Earlier this year the company pleaded guilty to a charge laid by the Occupational Safety and Health Service (OSH) of failing to identify hazards and follow through on controlling them.

"It was a towing accident that occurred because a chain was attached to an inappropriate piece of equipment which allowed the chain to slip off. Towing is a common activity in lots of industries, including mining and forestry," said James Hamilton, OSH Service Manager, Dunedin.

"In this case the judge commented that the situation at the mine was an accident waiting to happen and fraught with danger and the risk of human error. He also commented that this accident was as near to a fatal incident as can be imagined.

"However, this savage and tragic accident could have been avoided had the workplace hazards been correctly identified.

"This accident has had horrendous consequences for the victim and his family. It has been particularly devastating for his wife and son who have had to make enormous adjustments to their living arrangements and to their lives to support the victim and each other.

"With the benefit of hindsight, the people in this workplace are now very aware of the circumstances that allowed this accident to occur and they have made changes to prevent such an accident occurring again," said Mr Hamilton.