KEY POINTS:
Colleagues at Firth Industries' Nelson plant sang as the body of manager Graham Dick was recovered from a sand hopper where he became trapped and died yesterday.
The "tragic" accident had left the company in shock, said human resources manager Dan Mulvagh.
Mr Dick, the plant's masonry supply manager, died after he became trapped in the hopper about 9am yesterday and was crushed by the weight of six tonnes of sand.
Nelson Search and Rescue and the Richmond Volunteer Fire Brigade helped to dig Mr Dick's body out.
His wife Margaret said the situation was "unreal".
Mr Dick had worked at the plant for more than 30 years and was a highly respected and regarded manager, Mr Mulvagh said.
"When his body was removed, some of his workmates sang - it was heart-wrenching," he told the Nelson Mail.
Occupational Safety and Health are investigating the circumstances of Mr Dick's death.
Meanwhile, Nelson ACC injury prevention consultant Mark Preston-Thomas said Mr Dick's death highlighted the need for employers to take the health and safety of their staff more seriously.
According to Labour Department and ACC figures, employees working in construction, the broader industrial sector and agriculture were over-represented in serious and fatal workplace injury statistics.
"Nobody goes to work to get injured - they expect to get home in one piece," Mr Preston-Thomas said.
The construction and agriculture sectors often consisted of small businesses and self-employed workers who did not necessarily have robust health and safety systems in place, he said.
Staff often operated outside their skill level, and employers needed to do more to identify risks.
However, Site Safe New Zealand chief executive Iris Clanachan said huge progress had been made in workplace safety in recent years. The non-profit organisation specialises in improving health and safety in high-risk industries.
She said ACC's figures did not reflect accident rates, and the number of accidents recorded in construction would always seem high because the industry employed so many people.
- NZPA
