Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

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 / Whanganui Chronicle

Shunning guidelines on safety far too big a gamble

By Reon Suddaby - Deputy Editor
Whanganui Chronicle·
29 Nov, 2011 08:03 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

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

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

There's no shortage of stories about companies who have ended up in court after failing to ensure the safety of their employees.

While you couldn't go so far as to call it a regular occurrence, sadly the prosecution of a company after an accident which has maimed or even killed a worker is no longer a particularly shocking or surprising event.

The most extreme recent example of this is the charges laid in the wake of last year's Pike River mining disaster.

But the injury which occurred to Affco worker Tony Healy at the company's Imlay plant is something a bit different.

In this case, a health and safety investigation has pointed the finger of blame squarely at Mr Healy.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mr Healy's accident occurred on May 28, when he was pulled into a conveyor machine by his right arm, which became entangled around a roller.

He was trapped for more than 30 minutes before another maintenance worker found him and raised the alarm.

A health and safety inspector found Mr Healy had not followed several of Affco's safety policies and procedures, in particular by not carrying a radio with him, and by not having another person with him.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Department of Labour has not taken any action against Affco, and Mr Healy has admitted not carrying a radio, because he felt it was too bulky for him to carry out his job as a maintenance worker.

Mr Healy's situation is not unusual - there are plenty of people, particularly those engaged in manual labour, who choose not to follow the prescribed safety procedures, in order to make their job a little bit easier, at least in their own minds.

Familiarity breeds contempt, and it's not hard to see how someone who had been involved in the same line of work for a long time could feel sufficiently confident to disregard recommended safety procedures.

But Mr Healy's near-miss should serve as a salutary lesson.

These rules are in place for a reason.

While there is no doubt Mr Healy went through an awful experience, it could have been much worse.

At least he's still alive.

Feedback: editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

Our Changing World: Turning Taupō green

Whanganui Chronicle

Firefighters to test driving skills in Feilding competition

Whanganui Chronicle

'People are dying': Plea for speed limits on crash-prone stretch of SH1


Sponsored

Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Our Changing World: Turning Taupō green
Whanganui Chronicle

Our Changing World: Turning Taupō green

Project Tongariro battles invasive species to help restore vital wetlands.

07 Aug 04:36 AM
Firefighters to test driving skills in Feilding competition
Whanganui Chronicle

Firefighters to test driving skills in Feilding competition

07 Aug 03:34 AM
'People are dying': Plea for speed limits on crash-prone stretch of SH1
Whanganui Chronicle

'People are dying': Plea for speed limits on crash-prone stretch of SH1

06 Aug 06:00 PM


Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’
Sponsored

Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’

04 Aug 11:37 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
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP