A man was crushed to death in a workplace incident at a rubbish tip on Auckland's North Shore today.
Police said emergency services were called to the EnviroWaste refuse transfer station off Constellation Dr in Mairangi Bay at 3.26pm.
The incident occurred when a male truck driver, working for a waste collection company, was moving a waste bin at a bin storage yard adjacent to the transfer station.
He is thought to have been crushed by the bin.
In a statement released this evening, EnviroWaste chief executive Gary Saunders said the company was "devastated" that there had been a fatality at its transfer station at Constellation Drive.
He said the man who died was not an EnviroWaste employee.
"Right now our thoughts and focus are around the family of the deceased, our staff on-site and emergency services as they deal with this incident.
"We are and will continue to do everything we can to support and work with authorities on-site."
Mr Saunders said the site is used by many different operators and that EnviroWaste will be doing everything it can to work with all involved to find out what happened.
He said the man worked for a waste collection company that uses the transfer station.
Police said they would not be releasing the name of the deceased today.
His death will be referred to the coroner.
An Auckland Council spokeswoman said the council had no involvement in the incident and the victim was not one of its workers.
People were turned away from the gates of the EnviroWaste refuse station this afternoon, as police worked at the scene.
A truck arrived shortly after 5pm - its driver asking to be let in to dump some rubbish.
An EnviroWaste worker told him: "Not today, bro."
WorkSafe New Zealand said it had been advised of an incident and was making inquiries.
North Shore councillor Chris Darby reacted to the incident on Facebook.
He wrote: "My heartfelt sympathies go out to the family and friends of the person tragically killed at EnviroWaste's Constellation Drive waste transfer station this afternoon.
This is the second fatality on the North Shore following the death of an Onyx recycling collection worker last August.
"We take for granted the weekly kerbside collection of paper, glass, metals and waste. Now's a time to reflect on the daily dangers those workers face and the loss of precious life today."
Last March a 20-year-old recycling truck driver was critically injured and later died in hospital after he was found unconscious in an EnviroWaste recycling truck in Thorndon, Wellington.
Junior Hunt was pulled from the truck and taken to Wellington Hospital after he suffered horrific injuries after being crushed in lifting gear. He died the next day.
• 2015: Wellington recycling truck driver Junior Hunt, 20, died of horrific injuries after being crushed in lifting gear.
• 2015: Jane Lee Devonshire, 19, crushed to death when Onyx rubbish truck goes over a Birkenhead cliff.
• 2014: Auckland waste collection worker fatally crushed between two vehicles.
• 2010: Alpha Refuse Collections crew member Willie Nicholas, 29, killed when rubbish truck backed over him in a Mangere driveway.
• 2010: Another Alpha Refuse Collections worker Robert Joshua was also backed over in South Auckland.
• 2007: A 13-year-old Hamilton boy killed by a Street Smart rubbish collection truck while helping his dad. Company fined $87,500 and ordered to pay $60,000 reparation.
• 2007: Onyx driver Patrick Harrison, 51, killed when rubbish truck smashes into Birkenhead house.
• 2006: Inia Motu Rauwhero Roberts, 15, killed at Whitford Landfill in Auckland when tractor he was driving rolled and crushed him.
• 2005: James Arthur Kirkpatrick, 18, trips and falls under Onyx rubbish truck in Christchurch.
• 2001: Brady Prouse Williams, 16, crushed to death after falling into compactor of Street Smart recycling truck at Half Moon Bay near Pakuranga.
For too long, ‘accident’ has been a blanket term that absolves responsibility.