Investigations are underway to find out how a sawmill worker was injured after he stepped onto a saw machine.
Tachikawa Forest Products site manager Russell Black said it appeared an employee climbed on to a saw machine and stepped on to the moving part which feeds wood into
the saw - leaving him with injuries to his leg and foot. The man was treated by St John Ambulance and is in Rotorua Hospital.
The accident at the Vaughan Rd site happened about 7.30am on Saturday. The company had not yet talked to the victim but understood someone witnessed the incident and turned the machine off.
The victim was operating the machine and Mr Black said it appeared he may have been taking a shortcut by climbing over it.
It was not an area someone could accidentally walk in front of, he said.
Mr Black said there would have been 80 or 90 people on site at the time of the accident.
About a month ago an external audit of safety systems was carried out at the mill and indications showed that the safety systems were up to scratch, Mr Black said. Both Tachikawa and Department of Labour were carrying out investigations. Mr Black said the Department of Labour had released the machine for use today.
He said the internal investigation was expected to take a few weeks.
%Mill worker injured in saw machine accident
By REBECCA DEVINE
INVESTIGATIONS are underway to find out how a sawmill worker was injured after he stepped onto a saw machine.
Tachikawa Forest Products site manager Russell Black said it appeared an employee climbed on to a saw machine and stepped on to the moving part which feeds wood into the saw - leaving him with injuries to his leg and foot. The man was treated by St John Ambulance and is in Rotorua Hospital.
The accident at the Vaughan Rd site happened about 7.30am on Saturday. The company had not yet talked to the victim but understood someone witnessed the incident and turned the machine off.
The victim was operating the machine and Mr Black said it appeared he may have been taking a shortcut by climbing over it.
It was not an area someone could accidentally walk in front of, he said.
Mr Black said there would have been 80 or 90 people on site at the time of the accident.
About a month ago an external audit of safety systems was carried out at the mill and indications showed that the safety systems were up to scratch, Mr Black said. Both Tachikawa and Department of Labour were carrying out investigations. Mr Black said the Department of Labour had released the machine for use today.
He said the internal investigation was expected to take a few weeks.
Investigations are underway to find out how a sawmill worker was injured after he stepped onto a saw machine.
Tachikawa Forest Products site manager Russell Black said it appeared an employee climbed on to a saw machine and stepped on to the moving part which feeds wood into
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.