Lines company guilty over death of worker

A lines company has admitted blame for the death of a worker who fell 15m from a power pole in Central Otago last year.

Delta Utility Services pleaded guilty in Alexandra District Court yesterday to causing the death of lineman Roger Steel by failing to take practical steps to ensure his safety, The Southland Times reported.

Mr Steel died after falling from the pole at Millers Flat on the Millennium Track on December 9 last year.

The company had previously identified the pole as unsafe to climb.

The company will be sentenced on October 15.

- NZPA