Calls for truck fleet maintenance after serious Kaimāī Range truck crash

Vehicles are the biggest cause of acute harm in any workplace, WorkSafe says. Photo / File

A recent prosecution after a serious truck crash on the Kaimāī Range has highlighted the need for all companies to ensure their fleets are properly maintained, WorkSafe says.

Vehicles are the biggest cause of acute harm in any workplace, according to WorkSafe.

In a reserved decision released by the Tauranga District Court today,Sorensen Transport Limited, based in Te Kuiti, was sentenced after one of its truck's brakes failed and a worker was injured. In October 2016, a driver who worked for the company was travelling down the Kaimāī Range when the truck's brakes stopped working properly.

The driver lost control of the truck, which then hit another vehicle, crashed through a barrier and fell on its side, trapping the driver in the cab.

The driver suffered leg, arm and shoulder bruising, and whiplash.

The driver of the vehicle struck by the truck lost their right eye and suffered multiple rib fractures as well as a fractured facial bones and collar bone and bruised lungs.

A police investigation raised concerns about the state of maintenance to the truck so WorkSafe carried out its own investigation.

It found the truck was not maintained properly and that brakes were not included on the Sorensen's fleet check sheet.

WorkSafe chief inspector, investigations Steve Kelly said vehicles are the single biggest cause of acute harm at work. "The consequences can be severe. This

"This crash could have been avoided if Sorensen Transport Limited had ensured the truck was adequately maintained and if the company had established an effective system for identifying and monitoring maintenance requirements specific to each truck in its fleet."