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A Dunedin robotics company has been hauled before the courts and admitted failings after an employee died in a workplace accident.
Michael Sherry, 32, was killed in April 2025, at Scott Technology NZ Ltd.
On Thursday, the company’s lawyer appeared in the Dunedin District Court and entered a guilty plea to a charge of failing to ensure the health and safety of workers, exposing them to the risk of death or serious injury.
The maximum penalty for the offence is a fine of up to $1.5 million.
A Worksafe summary of facts said that on April 24 last year, Mr Sherry suffered fatal injuries while undertaking work on a machine used to pull the pelts off sheep carcasses as they travel along a meat processing line.
While working on the machine, a carriage on the machine moved toward Mr Sherry at about 30cm per second and crush his chest against the frame.
The crushing injuries he suffered in the incident, including rib and spine fractures, were fatal.
He was the only employee in the workshop at the time as other employees were preparing for an all-staff barbeque that afternoon.
Meanwhile, Mr Sherry was troubleshooting the machine by using the circuit breaker and disconnecting and reconnectiong wires on the machine.
To do this, he accessed the electrical junction box on top of the carriage on the machine — which was about three metres above the ground.
Mr Sherry entered a coned-off area using a platform ladder to access the electrical box.
Eventually, a Scott Technology engineer entered the workshop, heard the hydraulic power pack running and discovered Mr Sherry trapped in the machine.
Emergency services were contacted.
At the time of the incident, Scott Technology’s health and safety process for working on live hazardous machinery were not initiated.
Worksafe considered it was reasonably practicable for the company to have relocated the electrical cabinet on the machine to avoid the risk of people working in the “crush zone” and it could have ensured its processes for working on live hazardous machinery were initiated at the time.
The summary of facts also noted Mr Sherry had received an employee induction in September 2023 but no other training was recorded in Scott Technology’s system.
On April 17, two workers from Scarlett Hydraulics Ltd attended the Scott Technology workshop to install a new hydraulic hose kit in the machine.
During this work, an incorrectly configured valve was included in the machine’s hydraulic system.
“This was a major factor leading to Mr Sherry’s fatality,” the summary of facts said.
“Scott Technology was not aware of this … and had no ability to influence or control it.”
Scott Technology would be sentenced in January.
A Givealittle page had raised more than $40,000 for Mr Sherry’s wife and two young children.
The page said Mr Sherry was remembered as “a true lover of music and a friend to all who met him".
"Sherry’s warmth, laughter, and kindness touched countless lives.
His sudden passing leaves an enormous hole in the hearts of everyone who knew and loved him,” the page said.
At the time, a Scott Technology spokesperson said its priority was “supporting and protecting the family”.
‘‘We are deeply saddened by this tragic event, and our thoughts are with the individual’s family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time,” the spokesperson said.
Mr Sherry had been employed as a programmable logic controller (PLC) technician at Scott Technology since September 2023.
PLC technicians install, maintain and repair programmable logic controllers, which are miniature computers that control machinery and other equipment.
Before working at Scott Technology, he was a team leader and then an electrical project engineer at Downer.