The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

WorkSafe: Man's death in potato harvester reminder of the dangers

Horowhenua Chronicle
28 Feb, 2018 12:30 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Easton Agriculture have been sentenced in court after a man died in a potato harvester at the workplace.

Easton Agriculture have been sentenced in court after a man died in a potato harvester at the workplace.

There are no second chances with heavy machinery, says WorkSafe, after the sentencing of Easton Agriculture Limited last week in Palmerston North District Court.

The sentencing follows the death of a worker in April, 2016 after he became trapped in a potato harvester on a farm in Shannon.

The worker had been employed by the defendant for more than 30 years and was familiar with the machine he was operating.

WorkSafe's investigation found the machine had no guarding over a nip point between exposed rollers on the machine; Easton Agriculture had no lone worker policy in place and did not have a standard operating procedure for the safe operation of the machine.
Guarding could have saved the worker's life.

"This fatality is a sombre reminder that some of the machines we work with have the potential to kill us," WorkSafe deputy general manager of investigations, Simon Humphries, said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"When it comes to big pieces of machinery, there are no second chances. Limbs and lives are lost.

"It's a new year. Take stock of your machines and the risks associated with them and spend the time to mitigate those risks — so that if you or your workers make a mistake — you just might have saved a life".

For reasons that cannot be published, no fine could be imposed.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

However the court said had a fine been available, it would have been $330,000.
Reparation of $85,000 to the victim's family was ordered and payable as well as $3500 in costs.

Easton Agriculture Limited was charged under sections 36(1)(a), 48(1) and (2)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015:
Being a PCBU, failed to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers who worked for the PCBU, while the workers were at work in the business of undertaking.

The maximum penalty is a fine not exceeding $1.5 million.

Discover more

Business

Westland milk powder joint venture starts up

28 Feb 12:59 AM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

'Positive step forward': Farm-to-forest limits welcomed by farmers

The Country

The Country: Is Winston more popular than ever?

The Country

'Real effects on community': Police warn as poachers face court


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

'Positive step forward': Farm-to-forest limits welcomed by farmers
The Country

'Positive step forward': Farm-to-forest limits welcomed by farmers

Farm conversions to exotic forests will be capped at 15,000ha annually.

18 Jul 03:00 AM
The Country: Is Winston more popular than ever?
The Country

The Country: Is Winston more popular than ever?

18 Jul 01:54 AM
'Real effects on community': Police warn as poachers face court
The Country

'Real effects on community': Police warn as poachers face court

18 Jul 01:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP