Court Summary - at a glance

Date of offence:
12/06/2017
 
Plea:
Guilty
 
Decision:
Convicted
 
Final decision date:
 
Fine imposed:
$240,000 on both charges

Safety lessons learned:

In relation to the risk of workers being struck by a forklift in a poultry shed:

  1. Develop, implement, monitor and review an adequate safe system of work that adequately separated workers from moving plant;
  2. provide suitable PPE to workers, namely that which addressed the risk of working in the low-light environment of poultry sheds;
  3. provide and maintain safe plant, namely a forklift fitted with appropriate warning devices;
  4. provide adequate information, training, instruction, and supervision to its workers; and
  5. consult, co-operate with, and co-ordinate activities with other PCBUs who had a duty in respect of the matter, namely Tegel and the Sullivans, with respect to ensuring workers' safe entry to and exit from the poultry shed

Defendant name:
Alderson Poultry Transport Limited
 
Industry:
Agriculture
 
Date of offence:
12/06/2017
 
Facts in brief:
"Tegel is New Zealand’s largest producer of poultry products. It contracts farmers to grow chickens for meat production (broilers). Tegel engaged the Sullivans to grow broilers on their Christchurch farm (the site). Tegel entered into a contract with Alderson to catch and remove the broilers once they had matured.

The victim was working a shift in her husband’s chicken catching team at the site. She was not trained before she went to work, but was expected to learn on the job from her husband and her fellow chicken catchers.

Several times during the shift, the victim walked out of the shed to take a break from the heat, get some fresh air or use the toilet. She was wearing overalls with a single reflective strip. She was also wearing headgear. The victim told her husband that she needed a drink. She went to leave the shed. The forklift driver was carrying a fully loaded module out of the shed when the forklift he was operating struck and ran over the victim. She had been on the right side of the forklift where she was not visible to the forklift driver. She died at the scene from crush injuries."
 
Offence section:
"Sections 48(1) and 2(c), and 36(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015; and
Sections 49(1) and 2(c), and 36(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015."
 
Date(s) charged:
8-Jun-18

Court:
Christchurch - District Court
 
Plea:
Guilty
 
Final decision date:
 
Decision:
Convicted
 
Fine imposed:
$240,000 on both charges
 
Maximum fine available:
"$1.5 million on the s48 charge
$500,000 on the s49 charge"
 
Reparation:
$84,500 (65% of total $130,000) in emotional harm
$34,729.97 (65% of total $53,430.72) in consequential loss
$7,000 in costs


 
Related Documents:
PDF
Sentencing notes - WorkSafe New Zealand v Alderson Poultry Transport Limited (PDF 3 MB)
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