WorkSafe issued Gloriavale nine warnings in the space of less than a year over safety failures at its businesses, Newshub can reveal.
Newshub has seen copies of investigators' notebooks in which one said Gloriavale's residents had "little to no knowledge" of worker rights.
There were problems with welding fumes, noisy workshops, and dangerous machinery - but Gloriavale's leader Howard Temple said they've made improvements.
The dilapidated offal factory at Gloriavale, where meat waste is ground into meal for export; its dairy and deer farm, honey factory and health food business - all fell short during a series of Worksafe visits in the 10 months to July last year.
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Hosea Courage, former Gloriavale Resident and sharemilker said the work safety standards at the community were "very poor".
Courage is now a sharemilker in Ashburton, but he lived at Gloriavale until he was 16 and says the leaders put work and output ahead of safety.
"As a religious community, they taught that any adherence to self was sinful," he explained. "The focus was to always put yourself after everything else."
In the offal plant, unguarded machinery put workers at risk of "cutting fingers off".
There was also "no system to monitor worker exposure to hazardous noise and airborne contaminants", and Gloriavale "failed to manage risks" to workers when it came to welding fumes.
A WorkSafe inspector noted there "appeared to be little to no knowledge of employee rights" among residents.
Courage isn't surprised: "Worker rights were never discussed."
Gloriavale responded to an April 2021 inspection saying "we did have a mild case of galvanising fume fever" and admits "there are plenty of holes in our safety".
The representative emailed WorkSafe saying he too got sick from inhaling fumes 25 years ago.
"I had been taking zinc as a health supplement and thought the zinc fumes could possibly be beneficial to me. I didn't ventilate the room."
The offal factory, Value Proteins, received four orders to make improvements, while Gloriavale's energy company got two notices.
Their honey business, Forest Gold, and health food company also failed to comply.
WorkSafe told Newshub the issuing of nine improvement notices is higher than the agency would want to see for any business, particularly one the size of Gloriavale.
Gloriavale's profits in the year to March were almost $2.3 million, according to its latest charities return.
Workers are considered volunteers, and are told to sign documents giving Glorivale's leaders "absolute and unfettered right" to administer all money and assets.
Courage says residents didn't discuss money: "Not past the fact that you'll be signing these documents to give it to us."
Courage recalls working at Gloriavale's waste treatment ponds.
"There was no safety equipment to keep me from falling in the pond or any way to climb out of the pond if I fell in," he said.
He's just grateful he's left Gloriavale and leads a new life in Canterbury.
"It is vastly different. I have been able to choose my own work and I enjoy it very much," he said.
Another important difference is that when he works hard and earns money, and says he gets to keep it.
Gloriavale's leader and overseeing shepherd, Howard Temple, told Newshub the safety failures WorkSafe identified have been fixed.
"All the issues with WorkSafe have been rectified and remedied."
He said Gloriavale now has a regular programme of monitoring its workers and disputed the claim that he isn't concerned about worker safety.
"We are not against regulations at all. We don't want people getting hurt. We care as much for our workers as anyone."
Hosea Courage and two other former residents were in the Employment Court last month, where they argued they felt pressured to sign paperwork which gave leaders total control over their affairs.
The trio were part of a case that's seeking a determination from the Court that Gloriavale residents are employees rather than volunteers.
