Employer fined $180,000 after worker's 'significant' arm injury

Paddy Bull Limited has been fined $180,000 after an employee sustained a serious arm injury following a workplace incident involving a fast-turning machinery in 2023.

The employee, who was involved in a post mussel-harvest clean-up operation, placed his hand inside a mussel tumbler to clean it when another employee turned it on.

"The victim's arm was still inside the tumbler and got caught in the fast-turning machinery causing significant injury," said John Maxwell, investigation's manager at Maritime NZ, in a statement.

According to the Maxwell, the tumbler was not configured to automatically shut off if the door is opened.

"If the machinery had been configured in a way that stopped the tumbler from turning on while its doors were open, the incident would not have happened," Maxwell said.

The Auckland District Court ruled in a decision released early this month that Paddy Bull violated the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 by exposing an employee to the risk of death and serious injury.

In addition to the massive fine, it also ordered the organisation pay victim reparation and court costs.

Paddy Bill has already modified the engineering controls to prevent a similar incident in the future, according to Maritime NZ.

The agency also strongly urged employers to take a proactive approach with managing the risk in their operations and have the correct procedures in place to protect staff.