Court Summary - at a glance

Date of offence:
19 August 2014
 
Plea:
Not Guilty
 
Decision:
Convicted, appeal of sentence allowed
 
Final decision date:
 
Fine imposed:
$49,000

Safety lessons learned:
  • The foreleg chain, and its associated machines, should have been appropriately locked-out, as Affco's then health and safety protocols dictated; and
  • The company should have ensured, by on-going training and, most importantly, on-going monitoring, that its health and safety protocols were being adequately adhered to by its relevant staff.

Defendant name:
Affco New Zealand Limited
 
Industry:
Manufacturing
 
Date of offence:
19 August 2014
 
Facts in brief:
The Defendant company operates the Rangiuru meat processing plant.

The victim was employed by the Defendant as a night cleaner. While undertaking final cleaning inspection of plant, the left side of the victim’s head was penetrated by a suspended spreader hook used to hold sheep carcases and he was carried along the mutton chain.
 
Offence section:
Sections 6 and 50(1)(a) of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992
 
Date(s) charged:

Court:
Rotorua - High Court
 
Plea:
Not Guilty
 
Final decision date:
 
Decision:
Convicted, appeal of sentence allowed
 
Fine imposed:
$49,000
 
Maximum fine available:
$250,000
 
Reparation:
$40,000
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