A mesh covering now in place at a Waitaki Bridge pig farm could have saved the life of one of the farm's employees, WorkSafe New Zealand says.
Houtimata Farm Ltd was this week fined $40,000 and ordered to pay reparation of $75,000 after Bene Materoa-Mahu (60), of Waimate, drowned in an unfenced, uncovered effluent pond in August 2014.
After the order was made in the Timaru District Court on Tuesday, WorkSafe's chief inspector, Keith Stewart, said in a release the effluent pond ''was a clear and obvious hazard''.
''Not only was the effluent pond unfenced and uncovered, but there were no warning signs and nothing had been put in place to stabilise the pontoon. There was no written policy or procedure for pumping out effluent.
''It is not good enough to just hope that no-one will come to harm. You need to actively identify and manage workplace risks.''
Mr Materoa-Mahu worked as a truck driver and farm staff.
On the day he died, he was pumping effluent from the pond into a tanker truck.
He was alone at the time of his death.
Worksafe said it was ''not clear exactly how he ended up in the pond''.
''His body was found underneath a floating pontoon that housed a pump used to empty the pond. The pontoon had flipped upside down.''
Houtimata Farm pleaded guilty to a charge under section 6 and 50(1)(a) of the Health and Safety in Employment Act, Worksafe said.
No-one at the farm could be reached for comment yesterday. Mr Materoa-Mahu's family also could not be reached.
Fairfax reported Mr Materoa-Mahu's widow ''found the situation too distressing to read a victim impact statement in court''.
Court staff declined to release Judge Joanna Maze's sentencing notes as it was a ''fineable only offence''.
