Winstone Pulp cops hefty fine

Winstone Pulp International was fined $48,000 in the Taihape District Court on Monday after a worker's serious fall from a height at its Karioi Tangiwai site east of Ohakune in October 2011.

Pulp mill management pleaded guilty to one breach of Section 6 of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992

The worker was left seriously injured and is now in a wheelchair.

It is the fourth prosecution in the past year.

The court heard on October 18, 2011 two fitters were installing an electrical motor on a mechanical platform at a height of 2.55m, with no edge protection in place.

Both men were on the platform when the rigging system failed, knocking the motor off.

The motor hit one of the fitters, causing him to fall to the ground.

The man suffered multiple serious injuries, was in hospital for nearly four months and is now wheelchair-bound.

The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) general manager Health and Safety in the Central region, Murray Thompson, said the accident was tragic and could have been completely avoided had Winstone Pulp put measures in place to ensure safe working at height.

"This company completely failed in its duty to protect the two fitters working on site on the day.

"They did not follow standard rigging procedures. Nor did they ensure edge and fall protection was in place.

"This is the fourth successful prosecution MBIE has taken against Winstone Pulp International in the last 12 months, for four separate incidents and breaches of the Health and Safety in Employment Act," Mr Thompson said.