The penalty came after one employee sustained serious burns from molten zinc
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A Northland firm has been ordered to pay over $400,000 in fines and reparations after one employee sustained serious injuries while on the job.
Avon Industries Limited, a production engineering company based in Whangarei, was charged with failing to ensure the health and safety of workers, and exposing workers to a risk of serious injury after an employee was severely burned.
On the day of the accident, the employee had climbed onto the frame of the machine in an attempt to dislodge a jammed chain – however, his foot slipped into a bath of 450 degree molten zinc below.
The incident saw the man spend 21 days in hospital, recovering from deep burns to his foot and ankle.
A subsequent WorkSafe investigation found that Avon Industries had not conducted a risk assessment on either the process or the machine. There was also no safe system of work in place and no formal training program for dealing with machine malfunctions – even though chain jams were a known issue.
“A positive safety culture is imperative in high risk industries. It is not enough for a company to only identify a hazard – they need to manage that hazard appropriately,” said Simon Humphries, WorkSafe’s deputy GM of investigations and specialist services.
“This means preparing your staff for the work they are doing and monitoring their competence going forward,” he continued. “An ad-hoc and informal approach to safety puts workers at risk. It is not enough to tell your staff that hot metal is dangerous and learning from the person before them is not enough to prevent a worker from harm”.
Ultimately, the firm was ordered to pay a $371,250 fine as well as reparations of $30,000 to the injured employee. Costs of $1,584 were also ordered.
