A rock crusher accident and its court sequel has highlighted the importance of employers identifying hazards to workers.
South Taranaki's South Road Quarries Ltd was fined $30,000 and its director, Shane Michael Kells, convicted and discharged after a court hearing today.
South Road Quarries Ltd pleaded guilty to two charges under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of its employees while at work and failing to ensure that there are effective methods in place to identify existing hazards to employees at work.
Kells pleaded guilty to one charge that was laid on the basis that directors of companies were also personally liable where their company had breached any duty under the Act, where the director had been involved in the breach.
The Hawera District Court was told that last October company employee Kenneth Richard Jenkins was injured while cleaning the rock crushing plant at the quarry.
The crushing jaws from the rock crusher were removed to be serviced and the rock crusher was not being used at the time.
While Mr Jenkins was cleaning the rock crushing plant, the power generator was switched on to carry out welding work. This supplied power to the conveyor that fed rocks to the plant Mr Jenkins was cleaning. A rock that was on the conveyor fell on Mr Jenkins' head.
Department of Labour Central regional manager Brett Murray said outside the court the accident could easily have been prevented if the company had made sure that the conveyor was isolated from the main generator.
"Quarries are high-risk workplaces, with many potential hazards and an area of focus for the department," he said.
"All workplaces should have a system in place for identifying potential hazards to employees and action should be taken to eliminate, isolate or minimise these hazards."
