Impaled Affco worker removed hook

Emergency staff worked to free him at the Affco plant for 90 minutes as he stood attached to the device. Photo / George Novak

An Affco worker impaled through his head by a hook managed to pull the piece of equipment out of himself.

The Te Puke man, 42, was last night in a stable condition in Tauranga Hospital after the incident at Rangiuru on Tuesday night when the hook of a spreader entered his head from behind.

Emergency staff worked to free him at the Affco plant for 90 minutes as he stood attached to the device. The man, who was part of a cleaning crew, was conscious for the procedure and able to move away to free himself afterwards, Norm Ngatai, of St John Ambulance, told Radio New Zealand.

Affco is offering support to the man.

Plant manager Kevin Casey said he planned to visit the employee in Tauranga Hospital to offer help.

The accident was being investigated by WorkSafe New Zealand and Affco, he said. St John Central Region Western Bay of Plenty territory manager Ross Clarke said it received the call at 7.08pm and sent a rapid response vehicle from Te Puke and an ambulance from Tauranga.

The first unit arrived at 7.30pm but it took more than an hour to extract the injured man.

The man had been impaled by a spreader, which keeps the legs of a cow open.

Te Puke Fire chief Glenn Williams said he was at the station when the accident happened. The fire crew were first on the scene at about 7.20pm, Mr Williams said.

"They just supported him and kept him comfortable until the ambulance arrived. We would never remove any impaled object without making sure the ambulance people have stabilised the patient."

NZ Meat Workers Union national president Mike Nahu said the plant had cleaners who cleaned up after smoko and then there were hygiene cleaners.

It was the employer's responsibility to make sure staff were trained, he said.

- Additional reporting APNZ