Our View: Fines for workplace death too light

What price do you put on a life?
In the case of Tauranga man Brian Kevin Shannon, it is $155,000.
This is the total amount two companies guilty of workplace health and safety breaches were fined in the city's District Court yesterday and have paid in voluntary family compensation following the 61-year-old Port of Tauranga worker's death last year.
Mr Shannon, whose story appears on page one today, worked for Independent Stevedoring Limited (ISL) loading and unloading cargo from ships. He died from severe head and chest injuries after he was hit by a forklift carrying a heavy load of wrapped items on June 21.
ISL and on-wharf logistics company C3 Limited, whose worker was driving the forklift, earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to take all practicable steps to ensure Mr Shannon was not harmed or exposed to risk of harm in his workplace.
The case centres on a lack of lights on the forklift and lack of a formal system to regularly check reflectorised properties of the safety clothing supplied free to its employees.
ISL was fined $15,000; C3 Ltd $40,000. The fines take into account both firms have already paid Mr Shannon's family a total of at least $100,000 in compensation.
This tragedy highlights the responsibility Bay companies have in ensuring their workers are safe.
There will hundreds, if not thousands, of local people who each day work in dangerous workplaces, operating potentially lethal machinery and equipment.
It is critical companies have systems in place to protect staff because accidents do happen.
Equally, workers need to ensure they take all necessary steps to look after themselves and their co-workers.
This paper investigated workplace safety last September and found working in a meat processing plant was the most dangerous job in the Western Bay. Kiwifruit growing and grocery stores also featured as high risk.
Since 2005, 122 people have been hit by moving objects in accidents investigated by officials. One-hundred and sixty-seven people suffered fractures and 83 suffered open wounds.
Nationally, the figures are staggering. Nearly 10,000 employees are killed or injured in workplace incidents each year.
In Mr Shannon's case, a $55,000 fine seems rather light, reparation and guilty pleas aside.
The man lost his life.
In comparison, a meat processor plant manufacturer was fined $44,000 and ordered to pay $9000 reparation to a worker whose leg was broken when he became trapped in a piece of machinery at Affco's Rangiuru meatworks.
The companies concerned in both cases had good track records.
It is important labour officials monitor all guilty companies closely to ensure they are obeying the law and their workers are safe.