Firm fined $100,000 after employee loses legs

A Taranaki recycling company has been ordered to pay nearly $200,000 in fines and reparation for workplace safety breaches which resulted an employee losing his legs.

Thirty-seven-year-old Ben Hekenui lost one leg above and the other below the knee when he became trapped in an automatic baler press at Taranaki Recyclers, New Plymouth, last April.

The former representative sportsman sat in a wheelchair in New Plymouth District Court yesterday as Judge Allan Roberts fined Taranaki Recyclers $100,000 on two charges of breaching the health and safety laws and ordered the company to pay Mr Hekenui $76,900 in reparation, the Taranaki Daily News reported.

The punishment compares with the $10,000 fine and $30,000 reparation order handed to Manawatu Waste in 2006 after Chris Fromont lost both legs and his left arm in an industrial shredder, Department of Labour counsel Phil McCarthy described to the court Taranaki Recyclers' health and safety policy as "ad hoc", saying a safety manual sat on a shelf "gathering dust".

Defence counsel Shafraz Sahu Khan said Taranaki Recyclers was about to be liquidated and was in no position to pay a fine.

Outside court, company director Ian Cooper said they would honour the reparation payment to Mr Hekenui, with $45,000 already handed over yesterday. He was unclear when the rest would be paid.

Mr Hekenui said he held no malice toward his former employers following the sentence.

"I'm just glad it's finally over and we can all move on," he said.

- NZPA