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Over $100,000 penalties for failure to keep worker safe
A construction company has been fined $45,500 and ordered to pay reparation of $55,000 after they were convicted of a health and safety breach. They were building a manufacturing plant when they failed to bolt down a steel plate on the floor as required by the plans. A cleaner moved the plate to assist another worker who was vacuuming the floor and then fell through the hole in the floor suffering serious injuries.
The prosecution related to events which occurred under the old Health and Safety Act and so the old penalty limit of $250,000 applied. If the same set of circumstances had occurred under the new Act then the total fine could have been $1.5 million.
Alan Knowsley
Health & Safety Lawyer
Wellington
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