A South Island construction company has been fined more than $40,000 and ordered to pay $40,000 in reparation to a young worker after he became injured on the job.
The 16-year-old, who was doing casual work for Benchmark-Construction Limited in January this year, was working in a trench at a Kaiapoi development when the bucket of an excavator being operated by another employee detached and struck him.
The teen suffered a compound fracture of his left leg with nerve damage as well as cuts to his right leg, and bruising requiring surgery on his left leg and ongoing medical treatment.
A WorkSafe New Zealand investigation found that a manual safety pin (which is a back-up safety measure in case the automatic hitch lock device fails) had not been inserted. It was found loose on the floor of the excavator's cab.
Benchmark-Construction was today sentenced in the Christchurch District Court after pleading guilty to one charge of failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of an employee while at work, under sections 6 and 50(1)(a) of the Health and Safety in Employment Act.
