After a worker needed three fingers to be partly amputated, a Central Otago fruit grower has been fined for safety negligence. The victim was working at Clyde Orchards when his hands became caught in a conveyor belt as he tried to fix a chain in February 2021. He fractured two fingers on his left hand and needed surgery to partly amputate three fingers on his right hand.
The Alexandra District Court sentenced Clyde Orchards under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 in a reserved decision, imposing a $225,000 fine and ordering $37,465 in reparations. A WorkSafe investigation found the company did not properly assess the risk and had poor safeguarding of the machinery, which contributed to his injuries.
Source: rnz.co.nz
Photo source: Dreamstime.com
