SafetyNews New Zealand - Aotearoa's industrial safety news for decision-makers
New Zealand

Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) Stories - Page 6

Kiwi Stories

Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) stories

Trainee fatality caused by lack of supervision
Risk & Compliance

Trainee fatality caused by lack of supervision

Supervisory lapses during a dive course exposed trainees to a risk of death, after a trainee diver died and the Defence Force was fined.

By Michael Curreen • 3 min read • Sun, 1st Nov 2020
Botched electrical job shocks workers
Risk & Compliance

Botched electrical job shocks workers

Three workers were shocked at an Auckland site after unsafe testing and faulty wiring, prompting close to NZD $100,000 in fines.

By Michael Curreen • 3 min read • Mon, 26th Oct 2020
Two men sentenced after power pole comes down in Wellington
Law

Two men sentenced after power pole comes down in Wellington

Public safety was put at risk when poorly planned excavation brought down a power pole in Wellington, prompting fines for two men.

By Georgie Hughes • 3 min read • Sun, 18th Oct 2020
Young worker’s career cut short by unsafe machinery
Law

Young worker’s career cut short by unsafe machinery

A New Plymouth court has ordered more than USD $250,000 in penalties and reparation after a young worker lost three fingers in unguarded machinery.

By Michael Curreen • 2 min read • Wed, 23rd Sep 2020
Rules for managing remote workers
Virtual Private Networks

Rules for managing remote workers

Working from home can trigger fresh obligations on contracts, safety, privacy and security, with employers footing extra costs.

By Georgie Hughes • 3 min read • Sun, 20th Sep 2020
Hellers pays $200K for worker’s lost fingers
Law

Hellers pays $200K for worker’s lost fingers

A Christchurch meat plant has been fined and ordered to pay reparation after a worker lost four fingers in a cleaning accident.

By Georgie Hughes • 2 min read • Thu, 17th Sep 2020
$100K fine for powerline accident
Risk & Compliance

$100K fine for powerline accident

A Rotorua logging firm’s failure to assess live powerlines left a worker with life-changing burns and triggered the penalty.

By Georgie Hughes • 2 min read • Tue, 8th Sep 2020
WorkSafe’s $200K electricity industry initiative
Disaster Recovery

WorkSafe’s $200K electricity industry initiative

A near-miss after the Kaikōura earthquake exposed switch-isolation failures, prompting over GBP £200,000 in safety initiatives for the electricity sector.

By Georgie Hughes • 4 min read • Thu, 3rd Sep 2020
Worker paralysed after fall awarded $400,000
Law

Worker paralysed after fall awarded $400,000

A badly installed roof hatch left a worker paralysed in a four metre fall, prompting over GBP £400,000 in reparations and losses.

By Michael Curreen • 2 min read • Wed, 5th Aug 2020
Affco fined $46,000 for failing to control risks
Risk & Compliance

Affco fined $46,000 for failing to control risks

WorkSafe says the penalty follows a preventable eye injury that left a worker needing emergency cardiac surgery after animal-borne infection.

By Michael Curreen • 2 min read • Sun, 2nd Aug 2020
Dangers of slopes results in fatality
Risk & Compliance

Dangers of slopes results in fatality

Businesses working on steep terrain face renewed scrutiny after a forestry rollover in Wellington killed a worker and left a company fined NZD $60,000.

By Michael Curreen • 2 min read • Fri, 24th Jul 2020
Health and safety failures lead to severe burns
Risk & Compliance

Health and safety failures lead to severe burns

A worker’s life was changed after a boiler flare-up at a meat plant left him with burns to 75% of his body, WorkSafe says.

By Michael Curreen • 2 min read • Fri, 17th Jul 2020
Injured migrant worker not aware of safe practices
Risk & Compliance

Injured migrant worker not aware of safe practices

A farm company has been fined GBP £281,250 after a migrant worker suffered life-changing injuries when crushed by a trailer.

By Michael Curreen • 2 min read • Wed, 1st Jul 2020
Construction company sentenced after worker fell from man cage
Risk & Compliance

Construction company sentenced after worker fell from man cage

A worker was injured and the firm fined after unsafe height access equipment failed during shed construction in Kerikeri.

By Michael Curreen • 3 min read • Wed, 17th Jun 2020
Six tonne truck rolls onto trainee
Risk & Compliance

Six tonne truck rolls onto trainee

A trainee was crushed and badly injured when a truck rolled off wooden blocks in an unsupervised workshop job, exposing safety failings.

By Michael Curreen • 2 min read • Wed, 3rd Jun 2020
Fix that ‘accident waiting to happen’ before it’s too late
Risk & Compliance

Fix that ‘accident waiting to happen’ before it’s too late

Workers were exposed to a risk of death or serious injury after a known faulty gate injured two men and triggered a near-$271,000 fine.

By Michael Curreen • 2 min read • Fri, 29th May 2020
Government scraps low-risk building consents
Construction

Government scraps low-risk building consents

Homeowners could save NZD $18 million a year as councils drop consents for sheds, carports and other low-risk work from August.

By Staff Writer • 6 min read • Wed, 27th May 2020
$63k in fines due to unsafe work from heights
Law

$63k in fines due to unsafe work from heights

Repeated breaches of WorkSafe notices led to a total GBP £63,000 in fines after workers were left exposed to deadly falls.

By Michael Curreen • 4 min read • Wed, 20th May 2020
Does your business comply with Level 2 regulations?
Data Protection

Does your business comply with Level 2 regulations?

Businesses must review hygiene, distancing and contact-tracing controls as thousands return to work under Alert Level 2.

By Michael Curreen • 14 min read • Wed, 13th May 2020