Woman's fall costs builder over $40k

A woman's fall and broken arm has cost a Dunedin building company more than $40,000.

Amalgamated Builders Ltd had admitted one charge under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, and appeared for sentence in Dunedin District Court today.

The charge, laid by the Department of Labour, arose from an accident in May 2009 where a woman tripped on an uneven plywood cover while shopping at Dunedin's Centre City New World and fell, breaking her upper right arm.

The company was fined $30,753 and ordered to pay reparation of $10,915.

Shoppers and people walking through other public areas should be able to expect to be safe from harm, the Department of Labour said after the sentencing.

The builders had used plywood to cover concrete drying in a narrow trench dug for new wiring. The plywood was covered with mats, with warning cones at either end. However, unlike on previous occasions, the plywood covers had not been secured to the floor.

Department of Labour investigations showed the plywood had bowed from contact with the wet concrete, making the floor uneven, even with the mats, and causing the woman to trip.

Department Dunedin workplace service manager Mark Murray said the area should have been closed off, as another route was available to shoppers. Alternatively, better warnings should have been in place and the plywood should have been securely fastened.

"In shopping areas, where people are likely to be distracted by their surroundings, it is important to ensure construction areas are clearly marked and blocked off.

"Shoppers will generally be concentrating on what's on the shelves, not what's on the floor," Mr Murray said.

- NZPA