Worksafe HQ in Wellington Central Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Businesses are being warned old equipment that is repurposed for other tasks must be safe to use after the sentencing of a Rotorua company whose modified crane became a weapon that changed the life of a teenage contractor.
Lakeland Steel Limited was sentenced at Rotorua District Court on 20 February. It had been fined $234,000 and ordered to pay reparations of $54,131 after Harrison Gilbert was struck in the face by an untethered 412 kilogram steel beam on his 17th birthday in October 2022.
The crane appeared to have originally been a log skidder bought in the 1970s by the previous owner of Lakeland Steel.
It was later modified into a crane which was inherited by the current owners who did not maintain it.
Gilbert was knocked unconscious and received over 100 stitches in his face, a broken eye socket, a broken nose, several smashed or lost teeth, and skull fractures. He required facial reconstruction surgery and has more to come.
A WorkSafe investigation found the mobile crane had no certificate of inspection, no load safety devices fitted, and unclear labelling on its controls. The load should also have had a tag line or tether to steady it.
Gilbert had not been trained in any of the activities associated with the crane, and was dividing his attention between the load and working with the crane operator when he was hit.
WorkSafe's area investigation manager Paul West said the crane should not have been operational at the time.
"Businesses must manage their risks," he said.
"This includes regularly checking all their equipment to check it's fit for purpose and compliant.
"Pay extra attention to modified or older equipment so it doesn't get neglected while still operational."
The Crane Association's chief executive Sarah Toase said the incident had highlighted the importance of ensuring freely suspended crane loads are controlled by a tag line or tether.
"In an industry full of risks, it's important to understand all the elements that contribute to working safely.
"Businesses must train their staff in selecting and properly using tag lines, because you don't want injuries like these on your conscience if things go wrong."
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
