Quarry Firm Fined

A quarry firm in Taranaki, New Zealand has been fined $30,000 after a worker was hit on the head by a rock the size of a cricket ball. Reported by KELLY LONEY, Taranaki Daily News.

AT the Hawera District Court, South Road Quarries Limited pleaded guilty to a charge under the Health and Safety in Employment Act for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of its employees while at work. The company also admitted a charge of failing to ensure there were effective methods in place to identify existing hazards to employees at work.

Director Shane Kells, 38, from Stratford, pleaded guilty to one charge that was laid on the basis that directors of companies are also personally liable when their company has breached any duty under the act.

In October 2009 employee Kenneth Jenkins, was injured while cleaning the rock crushing plant at the South Taranaki quarry at Tokaora. The quarry was in the process of being closed down and Kells and Mr Jenkins were the only people working there. While Mr Jenkins was cleaning in the hopper, the power generator was switched on to carry out welding work.

The power also supplied the conveyor that fed rocks into the hopper but there was no way to turn it off other than removing a fuse or overloading of the machine. A rock the size of a cricket ball fell onto the conveyor travelled to the end and fell on Mr Jenkins’ head.

Judge Robert Murfitt said that fortunately he didn’t suffer any lasting injury and was able to remove himself from the hopper. “He had some minor difficulties with his neck ligaments but in a heartening display of robustness, unlike some other accident victims known to the court, he has taken a philosophical approach, moved on with life, is living in Australia and is not seeking to capitalise on the accident.”

Judge Murfitt said the case emphasised that employers needed to maintain safe environments for employees and people who entered the work place. In the quarry’s case there was no electrical isolation of the conveyor leading to the hopper and no effective hazard identification, he said.

In sentencing, the judge said the breach was not severe and in all the years of operation the company had not had any similar accidents.Judge Murfitt gave Kells credit for his early guilty plea; he was cooperative in the investigation and remorseful.

Kells had also taken immediate steps to install a switch to isolate the belt from the power supply and erected hazard signage alerting users of the potential risks. After fining the company $30,000 and $130 court costs, the judge convicted and discharged Kells.

Article sourced from www.aggregateRESEARCH.com

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