Man killed in quarry crash named

Police attend the scene where a man died when the rock cutter truck he was travelling in rolled.

A young man who died after he became trapped under a vehicle at a quarry has been named by police.

Tane Hill-Ormsby, 24, died after the 45-tonne rock cutter he was driving rolled at the Oropi Quarry on McPhails Rd last Thursday.

Emergency services were called to the scene near Tauranga at 12.15pm.

The Fire Service worked to right the vehicle and remove the man from underneath, but he died at the scene.

The matter was being investigated by WorkSafe New Zealand, and police on behalf of the coroner.

The Council of Trade Unions last week expressed dismay at the death of a second quarry worker in less than a month.

Mr Hill-Ormsby's death comes after Scott Baldwin, 43, was killed on March 19 at Gordons Valley Lime Company in South Timaru.

Council of Trade Unions general counsel Jeff Sissons said the deaths were tragic.

He said health and safety laws for mining were strengthened in 2013 in response to the Royal Commission into the Pike River Mine tragedy.

"But after lobbying from industry and assurances that quarries were safer than mines, the Government excluded quarries from the protections of the new law."

Mr Sissons said instead of legislating, the Government opted to work with the industry to develop specific guidelines, with a longer-term view to developing regulations.

"These guidelines are still in draft and the regulations nowhere on the horizon."

Mr Sissons said the Health and Safety Reform Bill currently before select committee could be amended to include quarries in the mining protections.

"Specific regulations for quarries should be urgently made. These would be big steps towards stopping further deaths or injuries."