Fine highlights need for businesses to put safety plans into action

23 May 2007

The successful prosecution today of a Nelson-based fruit processing company over an accident that left a female employee seriously injured, is a timely reminder to businesses to implement the safety systems they develop, says the Department of Labour.

Saxton Fruit Ltd was convicted and fined $12,500 and ordered to pay reparation of $10,366 to the victim in the Nelson District Court today, over an incident on 2 August last year in which a fruit grader-and-packer suffered serious injuries when her hand caught in rollers on the conveyor of a bagging machine.

The Department of Labour’s Nelson Service Manager, Annette Baxter, said the personal cost to the accident victim had been high, with the employee sustaining multiple fractures and horrific injuries to her right arm.

“This was an ordeal for the employee,” said Ms Baxter. “But had the company implemented the controls it had identified, it needn’t have happened.”

Saxton Fruit pleaded guilty to breaching Section 6 of the Health and Safety in Employment Act, which calls for employers to take “all practicable steps’’ to ensure the safety of their employees while at work.

Ms Baxter said: “Our investigation showed that although the company had formerly identified the hazards on the conveyor, it had failed to put in place the control measures identified. This accident could have been avoided by the employer taking a few, simple measures.

“The message to businesses from this prosecution is that it isn’t enough to simply identify workplace hazards. Businesses need to take the next step and implement the safety systems they develop to effectively control hazards,” said Ms Baxter.

“Businesses need to realise that implementing safety systems is not just about compliance, but that it’s good for business.  It would have kept the worker safe, and it would have meant the firm avoiding disruption to its productivity”.

ENDS

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.