Union officials call for greater safety on Bay waters

Maritime Union officials are calling for change after a number of workplace injuries.

Crushed fingers and toes, a degloved hand, falls of up to 6m and a person impaled in the groin were among the 25 injuries sustained on ships berthed in Tauranga in the past four years " figures which have Maritime Union officials calling for change.

National figures showed there were 130 non-fatal accidents on ships in ports throughout the country and three fatalities.

Maritime New Zealand dealt with accidents that occurred on ships while Worksafe New Zealand took the lead on accidents which took place on shore including at a port or on a wharf, spokesman Andrew de Montalk said.

The Tauranga accidents ranged from rolled ankles and sprained wrists to much more serious injuries.

In October 2011 a crew member on the POS Knight slipped as he approached the edge of the vessel and fell about 6m on to the deck below.

Two months later an employee of a company contracted to unload fish from Ocean Breeze got their hand caught in a winch, which resulted in severe cuts and the "degloving" of the hand.

In another instance in May 2012 an employee slipped while climbing on to the Arapawa II from the wharf and a 90mm rod used for guiding rope on the hauler impaled the employee through the groin.

Most recently, in May last year, a gasket blew out while caustic soda was being discharged from the Chembulk Sydney and a crew member was hit by the resulting jet of caustic soda that sprayed out. The crew member was rushed to hospital.

President of the Mount Maunganui/Tauranga branch of the Maritime Union of New Zealand Peter Harvey said the number of injuries was just the tip of the iceberg.

"Our concern is that we know with the amount of injuries that occur there's been literally hundreds of near misses as well," he said.

"The injury itself at the end of the chain is a matter of luck. It really gives you a picture of the bigger problem."

Mr Harvey said it had been a problem the union had been voicing concern over for many years. He was hopeful the new Health and Safety Reform Bill would improve the worker's safety "as far as an employer taking proactive action towards preventing these injuries to start with".

Maritime Union national secretary Joe Fleetwood said the figures showed an unacceptable level of harm in the industry.

Mr Fleetwood said a full and independent investigation into industry health and safety was required to "shine a light on dark places".