Media Releases
CHH to pay $100,000 reparation over fatal fall
22 February 2006
Carter Holt Harvey Ltd has been ordered to pay $100,000 to the family of one of its workers, killed when he fell through PVC roofing a year ago today.
CHH Ltd pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to take all practicable steps to protect the man and was convicted in the Tokoroa District Court in January. A reserved decision was released today, fining the company $30,000 and ordering it to pay a further $100,000 in reparation. Other payments had already been made by the company, totaling $90,000.
This is the second-highest reparation order made under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992. Sealord was last year ordered to pay $195,000 to the family of a man killed on the fishing boat Aoraki.
The accident happened at the CHH Tokoroa plant on 22 February 2005. The man was helping another worker clear a roof duct that had been blocked by sawdust. As he walked across the lower roof of the building he fell through some PVC sheeting to the floor below, a fall of almost 10 metres.
Sentencing Judge J J Weir agreed with the Department that the hazard the worker was exposed to was significant. The roof was easily accessible, and there was no guardrail system or designated walkway in place.
Chief advisor, health and safety Mike Cosman said this was the second of three prosecutions taken by the Department recently over falls from height, through brittle roofing.
Earlier this month, Ashburton seed processing company South Island Seed Dressing and Storage Co Ltd was ordered to pay $60,000 to the widow of a maintenance worker killed when he fell 6.5m through a skylight last August. And four Tauranga companies face numerous charges after a worker fell 7m to his death through a skylight, also last August.
Mr Cosman said the lessons learnt from these tragic workplace accidents were simple.
“Falls from heights maim and kill. Roofing materials such as PVC, asbestos or glazing will generally not take a person’s weight and can often be hard to distinguish from other, more robust materials - especially when obscured by dust and dirt.
“Employers need to properly assess all tasks that involve work at height and ensure that appropriate precautions are taken. Often this can be as simple as roping off or covering the fragile materials or providing designated safe walkways.
“It’s not rocket science. People have been getting killed this way for years yet we don’t seem to have learnt the lessons. The Department will continue to take a firm line where there is a clear disregard for these basic precautions.”
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.
ENDS
