Seven fatal job accidents in eight days

By NICOLA BOYES

While thousands of New Zealanders made their way through the working week, seven men died doing their jobs.

The week has been described by Occupational Safety and Health as one of the worst for workplace accidents. OSH national operations manager Mike Cosman said the number of fatalities was unusual.

The most recent death happened in Wellington yesterday when a plant operator died servicing a high-rise crane. OSH is making preliminary inquiries but it is believed the man, who had not been named last night, may have had a heart attack.


Mr Cosman said the deaths had a huge impact not only on the men's families but on whole communities.

"One of the deaths was on the West Coast. It's like an extended family down there and it's like a death in the family, but it's the broader family of the workplace."

Most employers spoken to by the Herald believed they had done all they could to keep their workplaces safe.

Morrow Equipment general manager Bill Houlker said worker Frank Hospenthal, who died on September 8, was one of the most experienced crane riggers in the Southern Hemisphere.

"I look at this and think how can we prevent it happening again? I don't have any answers."

Mr Hospenthal's death had shattered the company, he said. "I keep making him cups of coffee without realising it."

In Hamilton, Peter Baker Transport branch manager Alex Rossi said workers were gutted by the death of owner-driver Keith Bassett. He, like most employers spoken to, was offering grief counselling to staff.

Nigel Bacre, manager of Allied Concrete in Palmerston North, said his employee Malcolm Phillips was an experienced truck driver and trainer assessor. His death was a blow to the small firm, whose staff often had family barbecues together.

Mr Phillips had pulled over to the side of a road to let a car past when the sodden ground gave way under his truck. "He was being courteous, that's the tragic thing I just can't get past."

Mr Bacre said the motorist would forever remember watching Mr Phillips trying to jump out of his truck window as it rolled.

This week's deaths were:

* September 8: Frank Hospenthal, 59, father of three, killed at new Statistics Department building in Wellington. The crane rigger was crushed after his safety harness is believed to have tangled in a gearbox.

* September 9: Gregory Williams, 35, crushed after the forklift he was driving at Greymouth's Auto Diesel workshop overbalanced as he tried to turn on a steep ramp. His partner is pregnant.

* September 10: Driver Malcolm Phillips, 59, father of two, killed when pulling over on a narrow road to let a motorist pass. The ground gave way and the truck rolled 20m down bank.

* September 14: Fitter-welder Frederick Marais, 43, father of three, killed using an angle grinder without safety guard at Atlas Quarries, Northland. The disc shattered, a fragment piercing his chest.

* September 14: Keith Bassett, 40, father of four, killed when a roll of electrical cable rolled on him at Power Warehouse, Hamilton.

* September 14: Apirana Turupa Ngata Tutakangahau, 25, Whakatane, killed when a well he was digging collapsed.

* September 16: Plant operator died servicing a crane in Wellington. Possible heart attack.