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Court Summary - at a glance

Date of offence:
28 February 2017
 
Plea:
Guilty
 
Decision:
Convicted
 
Final decision date:
 
Fine imposed:
$393,750

Safety lessons learned:
  1. Ensured that an effective risk and hazard assessment was undertaken and the appropriate controls were implemented in respect of storage, stacking and de-stacking of steel pipes;
  2. Developed and implemented appropriate safe working methods and procedures;
  3. Conducted regular monitoring of stored stacked material in order to ensure it was stacked and stored safely;
  4. Ensured workers were provided with adequate information, training and supervision in respect to safe stacking, loading and unloading of steel pipe.

Defendant name:
Peter Fletcher Transport Limited
 
Industry:
Postal, transport and warehousing
 
Date of offence:
28 February 2017
 
Facts in brief:
The victim, a worker, received an order to pick up five bundles of steel pipes to be delivered to a site in Christchurch. He began the de-stacking process and the bundle of pipes were placed on wooden bearers so that they could be picked up by a forklift. The victim completed the work in relation to de-stacking the necessary pipes and was in the process of cleaning up around the remaining stack of pipes. He was on his knees, cleaning the area in front of the pipes, when the stack appeared to drop slightly and fell forward, trapping the victim under the cascading pipes. He died instantly.
 
Offence section:
Sections 48(1) and 2(c), and 36(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
 
Date(s) charged:

Court:
Christchurch - District Court
 
Plea:
Guilty
 
Final decision date:
 
Decision:
Convicted
 
Fine imposed:
$393,750
 
Maximum fine available:
$1.5 million
 
Reparation:
For emotional harm: $70,000 to deceased’s wife, $10,000 each to sister and mother (paid outside of Court)

For consequential loss: $62,424 (comprising $12,424 for direct losses and $50,00 for the loss of pecuniary benefit from deceased husband’s income) (paid outside of Court)