Workplace horrors: Big payouts over amputated fingers, WorkSafe airs industry concerns

WorkSafe says too many New Zealanders are suffering injuries in the workplace which require medical care, when they could be avoided. Photo / Bevan Conley

Businesses have been forced to pay more than half a million dollars in health and safety cases in the past two months after workers had fingers amputated in horror workplace accidents.

WorkSafe says the pattern of accidents and heavy fines indicate a persistent problem in the manufacturing sector.

Three cases have seen companies penalised by the courts since mid-March, WorkSafe said.

One involved a worker having two fingers amputated by a punch and shear machine. A third finger was degloved - a large piece of skin was ripped from the underlying muscles and tissues.

WorkSafe said the injuries could have been avoided.

“Businesses must manage their risks to keep workers safe,” WorkSafe principal inspector Mark Donaghue said.

“In each of these cases, there was a failure to follow basic machine safety standards. WorkSafe investigated and prosecuted the cases as part of our role to hold businesses to account when they fall short on health and safety.

“All three cases are from the manufacturing sector – which has a persistent problem with machine safeguarding and is one of the country’s high-risk industries.”

WorkSafe released more information about all three cases on Wednesday morning.

The case where a worker had two fingers amputated and a third degloved involved a punch and shear machine which WorkSafe said was “out of order” at a Timaru engineering company.

The incident happened in 2022. Earlier this year the company was fined $247,500 and ordered to pay reparations of $35,000.

Another worker had three fingers partially amputated while using a punch and forming press at an Auckland engineering company in March 2022.

WorkSafe said that in sentencing, Judge Lisa Tremewan referred to “an unintended complacency” and that “it is critical that robust practices are employed by those within the relevant industries”.

A fine of $200,000 was imposed, and reparations of $35,337 were ordered.

In August 2022, another worker had two fingers amputated and a third degloved while cleaning a machine at an Auckland plastics plant.

WorkSafe said the machine’s on/off switch had been knocked into operation because the interlock wasn’t functioning.

A fine of $74,392 was imposed, and reparations of $33,000 ordered.

“If you are unsure whether your safeguarding is up to scratch, engage a qualified expert as soon as possible,” Donaghue said.

“These sorts of incidents are avoidable. Workers should not be suffering harm like this in 2024, and businesses have no excuse.

“WorkSafe is notified of machine guarding incidents from across the country every week, and is regularly prohibiting dangerous machinery as part of its proactive and targeted assessments.

“WorkSafe has a role to influence business to make sure they keep people healthy and safe - that’s why we’re speaking out on this issue.”

Workplaces have been required to safeguard machinery since the Machinery Act 1950 took effect.

But WorkSafe said “workplaces still aren’t getting it right”, adding that too many workers in New Zealand were “being injured and killed from unsafe machinery”.