Court Summary - at a glance
Date of offence:
7 September 2014
Plea:
Guilty
Decision:
Convicted
Final decision date:
Fine imposed:
$45,937.50
Safety lessons learned:
- Ensure effective perimeter guarding around the ROPT.
- Ensure an effective system to ensure the ROPT’s rollers could only rotate in an outward direction when employees need to work with rotating rollers.
- Supervision and monitoring of employees to ensure that they understand and follow safe work procedure for accessing the ROPT.
- Ensure that the emergency stop device on the ROPT is easily identifiable.
Defendant name:
Fletcher Steel Limited
Industry:
Manufacturing
Date of offence:
7 September 2014
Facts in brief:
Pacific Coilcoaters is the trading name for a division of the defendant company which manufactures pre-painted steel and aluminium roofing and cladding.
The victim, while working at the Pacific Coilcoaters factory, went to check the Roll On Pre-Treatment Chemical Coater machine’s (“ROPT”) rollers as part of the production line start up process. The production line was stopped at the time. The perimeter guard had been left off the machine and the victim was able to access the ROPT without removing the guard.
The victim checked the lower rollers for damage. The victim turned the rollers with his right hand while using a rag in his left hand to remove residual cleaning chemicals and the ROPT started without warning as he was doing this.
The rollers were rotating in an inward direction and the victim’s left thumb was drawn into the nip point between the rollers.
The victim suffered an avulsion type amputation of his left thumb. He required surgical intervention to replant his thumb.
The victim, while working at the Pacific Coilcoaters factory, went to check the Roll On Pre-Treatment Chemical Coater machine’s (“ROPT”) rollers as part of the production line start up process. The production line was stopped at the time. The perimeter guard had been left off the machine and the victim was able to access the ROPT without removing the guard.
The victim checked the lower rollers for damage. The victim turned the rollers with his right hand while using a rag in his left hand to remove residual cleaning chemicals and the ROPT started without warning as he was doing this.
The rollers were rotating in an inward direction and the victim’s left thumb was drawn into the nip point between the rollers.
The victim suffered an avulsion type amputation of his left thumb. He required surgical intervention to replant his thumb.
Offence section:
Section 6 and section 50(1)(a) of the Health and Safety in Employment Act
Date(s) charged:
Court:
Auckland - District Court
Plea:
Guilty
Final decision date:
Decision:
Convicted
Fine imposed:
$45,937.50
Maximum fine available:
$250,000
Reparation:
$17,500
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