Rubbish company fined after death of employee

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An Auckland-based rubbish company has been fined $92,400 after the death of an employee last year.

Manukau man William Noble Nicholas, 30, was helping with roadside rubbish collection while getting a lift to work, though he was not rostered to work that day.

The Alpha Refuse Collections truck, which had no reverse warning buzzer or reversing lights, backed out of a driveway and ran over him.

Basic safety measures could have prevented Mr Nicholas' death, Department of Labour's Manukau service manager, Craig White said.

"A traffic management plan should also have been in place, focusing on the particular hazard of reversing. The company should have made sure that all employees were aware of it and followed it."

A plan would have made it clear that no employees were to stand behind the truck or on the rear tray of the truck while it was reversing and the driver should not reverse until all employees were in sight.

The company should also have made it clear that only those rostered to work on the truck could do so, he said.

Alpha Refuse Collections was convicted on one charge under the Health and Safety in Employment Act, fined $32,400 and ordered to pay reparations of $60,000.

- NZPA