More than half a million dollars in fines have been dished out to businesses in the past two months over workers losing their fingers in unsafe machinery, WorkSafe has revealed.
The fines were handed down to three separate businesses after machinery amputated the fingers of three workers in 2022. The courts have only decided on penalties for them in recent weeks.
Mark Donoghue, principal inspector at WorkSafe/Mahi Haumaru, said the three companies "fell short" on health and safety.
"All three cases are from the manufacturing sector - which has a persistent problem with machine safeguarding," he added.
"In each of these cases there was a failure to follow basic machine safety standards."
In January 2022, one worker lost two fingers in a punch and shear machine while working at Thompson Engineering in Timaru.
A third finger was also degloved (skin and fat was torn from the underlying muscle and connective tissue).
Those injuries happened because the punch and shear machine normally used wasn't working at the time.
Two months later, in March 2022, a second worker lost parts of three fingers in a punch and forming press at Anglo Engineering in Auckland.
Judge Lisa Tremewan said at sentencing the injury was "unintended complacency".
Then in August 2022, a third worker lost two fingers and another finger was degloved while cleaning a machine at Flexicon Plastics in Auckland.
The machine's interlock wasn't working at the time of the accident.
"If you are unsure whether your safeguarding is up to scratch, engage a qualified expert as soon as possible," said Donoghue.
"Businesses have no excuse," he added.
Donoghue said WorkSafe/Mahi Haumaru is told about machine guarding accidents every week, and regularly bans dangerous machinery as a result.
"WorkSafe has a role to influence business to make sure they keep people healthy and safe - that's why we're speaking out on this issue," he said.
The Machinery Act (1950) requires businesses to safeguard machinery, yet problems still arise "with too many workers in Aotearoa being injured and killed".
What fines were imposed?
- Thompson Engineering was fined $247,500 with $35,000 in reparations;
- Anglo Engineering was fined $200,000 with $35,337 in reparations; and
- Flexicon Plastics was fined $74,392 with $33,000 in reparations.
