Transcript of Jo Ann Pugh, the Department of Labour's New Plymouth Acting Service Manager

"Employers can prevent horrific injuries like those suffered by Mr Hekenui by installing appropriate safety guards, and by ensuring that the employees know and follow the correct safety procedures.

The Department of Labour has well-tested safety guidelines for machinery safety. If they're followed consistently they can prevent this sort of savage incident from occurring. In this case thes afety guards were not in place, the emergency stops were inadequate and no formal safety procedures had been put in place.

This is a particularly distressing case and it was entirely avoidable."

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