Using wrong equipment costs firm $27,500 after worker hurt

An Auckland company will have to pay $27,500 after one of its employees was injured by a digger bucket last year. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

An Auckland company will have to pay $27,500 after one of its employees was injured by a digger bucket last year.

Builders Corner was fined $10,000 and ordered to pay reparation of $17,500 for failing to ensure the safety of a worker.

It followed an incident at Orakei on November 3 last year which left the worker with serious leg and head injuries.

The Auckland District Court was told the digger bucket was not compatible with the digger and failed to release properly, so the operator assumed the switch wasn't working and did not relock it.

The worker was struck a short time later.

Department of Labour Auckland Central service manager Claire Morris said Builders Corner exposed one of its workers to an unacceptable risk by failing to identify and control hazard posed by incompatible equipment.

"It's crucial that employers ensure their equipment is compatible with other parts of the machinery or, in this case, the digger," she said.

"Otherwise their employees risk serious injury or even death."

- NZPA