KiwiRail to pay $110,000 to victim's family over work accident

File photo / Wairarapa Times-Age

The family of a contractor seriously injured when a digger was hit by a train last year will receive $110,000 from KiwiRail in reparation.

Paul Anderson, 37, was working on the Raurimu Spiral near Tongariro National Park in June when the train struck his digger.

WorkSafe New Zealand launched an investigation into the incident and found the crash was "entirely preventable".

There had been multiple failings by KiwiRail, chief inspector Keith Stewart said.

"Every worker has a right to trust that their employer is looking out for their safety and that the necessary safety precautions and systems for managing potential risks are in place.

"Multiple failings by KiwiRail have had a devastating impact on the victim's life. He continues to live with these tragic consequences to this very day."

Mr Anderson survived the collision without a single broken bone - but suffered a severe traumatic brain injury.

The father-of-two has been in hospital since the crash, and his prognosis for recovery is very poor.

KiwiRail track workers gave a north-bound goods train permission to drive through the site. The train did not have time to stop once the digger came into view and collided with it.

A WorkSafe New Zealand investigation found multiple failures by KiwiRail contributed to the collision, including ineffective communication for all persons on site, poor communication of train movements to workers and failing to provide an effective system that would allow a Rail Protection Officer to ensure that all workers were off the tracks before allowing any trains to pass through.