Charge laid over industrial shredder incident

31 July 2006

The Department of Labour is to prosecute Manawatu Waste Ltd, after an employee was seriously injured when he was dragged into an industrial shredder in February.

The charge was laid in the New Plymouth District Court, and the company has been served with a summons to appear in court on 10 August.

The Department has charged that Manawatu Waste Ltd breached Section 6 of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, for failing to take all practicable steps to protect its employee. The man’s legs and an arm were amputated after he was pulled into the cutters of the green waste shredder in New Plymouth on 22 February.

The maximum fine for this type of offence is $250,000.
Acting health and safety service manager for Taranaki Martin Churchman said because the matter was now before the courts, the Department was not able to comment further.

To the journalist: please note that health and safety services formerly referred to as Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) should now be referred to as the Department of Labour.