Taranaki sawmill must pay $ 274,000 after ‘traumatic amputation’ of worker

A man who had been at his first job for seven weeks lost three fingers and part of his palm after a “traumatic amputation” at a Taranaki sawmill.

Taranaki Sawmills Ltd was sentenced yesterday in New Plymouth District Court for failing to ensure the machine was safe for workers to operate, and was fined $ 231,000 and made to pay more than $ 43,000 in repair to the victim.

In February 2018, the worker was operating a large finger binding machine when it got stuck.

When he went to clear the jam, his arm was trapped and exposed to cutting tools.

Consequently, three fingers and two-thirds of the palm of his right hand were amputated. He has not been able to return to work since the incident.

Acting WorkSafe Chief Inspector Danielle Henry said her investigation found that where the worker was trying to clear the jam there was no effective guarding or emergency stops on the machine.

“In this case, there was more than one location from which workers had to operate the machine and the company had not protected the machine at each location.

“The manufacturing industry must prioritize the importance of risk assessment and continuous review of its controls on its agendas.

“Over and over again we see workers sustaining life-changing injuries as a result of operating machinery without protection.

“What makes this even more tragic is that this young worker’s career has been cut short.”