Pre-match fireworks firm charged for injuries

Fireworks go off after the haka. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Fan injuries after explosives at All Blacks test leads to court hearing.

The company behind an All Blacks pre-match fireworks display that exploded into the crowd injuring three fans has been accused of a catalogue of failings.

WorkSafe has laid 18 charges against Van Tiel Pyrotechnics after the Eden Park display last year which sent fiery shrapnel into a stand.

The charges were laid after an eight-month investigation into the incident moments before kick-off in the August 23 Bledisloe Cup clash.

It led to the New Zealand Rugby Union abandoning pre-match on-field pyrotechnic displays for the rest of the season.

The charges include failing to ensure that a hazardous substance was correctly identified as an explosive, failing to keep a proper record of the explosive material — including labelling it and identifying where it was kept — and failing to ensure the Taupiri property where the explosives were kept had a current test certificate.

Martin Van Tiel, who owns the company, has been in charge of fireworks displays at Eden Park for more than 10 years.

He told the Herald on Sunday he did not want to comment on the charges, but confirmed the company also did a fireworks display at SkyCity during the Cricket World Cup.

"It's one particular item and we deal with over 1000 different pyrotechnics. There's only one [type of] pyrotechnics which in 20 years has done something strange," he said.

Van Tiel believed the company had found out "the cause of what went wrong". But he would not elaborate.

Among the people injured sitting in the low stands was Cecilia Wang, who was at her first All Blacks test.

The injured Cecilia Wang is helped by staff. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The shrapnel broke her glasses, knocked her out and left her with a 6cm gash to her forehead. She needed hospital treatment.

Two men sitting nearby suffered minor injuries. Several weeks after the incident, Wang said she was suffering mental stress.

Van Tiel's website describes the pyrotechnics as "low to zero debris products which can be used in close proximity situations".

The company faces a further charge of failing to take steps to ensure no Van Tiel Pyrotechnics employee harmed any person while at work.

Van Tiel would not comment on whether he had been in touch with the victims since the charges had been laid.

The charges carry a maximum sentence of three months in prison or a $500,000 fine.