High Holiday Work Toll (Jan 06)

Occupational Safety and Health

PRESS RELEASE   

Tuesday 10 January 2006

High Holiday Work Toll

The Christmas and New Year period has seen a spate of workplace fatalities, despite many people being on holiday.

 

The Department of Labour’s chief advisor for health and safety Mike Cosman said the Department was notified of nine fatal workplace accidents between the 24th of December and the 10th of January.

 

“Considering there were 46 recorded workplace fatalities for the year to June 2005, this is a worryingly high number of deaths for such a short period of time.

 

“During holiday times, employers, self employed people and workers need to be especially aware of what is going on in their workplaces.

 

“Workplaces may be operating on a skeleton staff, have minimal supervision, or have only essential maintenance work going on. People may also be tired, rushing to finish work, or simply not have their adjusted their mind from ‘holiday mode’ to the level of concentration required for a hazardous work environment.

 

“However other accidents appear to be caused by using the wrong equipment for the environment or not following basic precautionary measures such as wearing a helmet or using a safety belt,” he said.

 

Fatalities notified to the Department over the holiday period were:

·       A Napier container transportation firm manager died when his head was crushed in a container-lifting device.

·       A Culverden farmer was crushed under a bulldozer.

·       An Auckland maintenance engineer working in a factory was crushed between an elevated work platform and over-head pipe.

·       A Northland farm worker lost control of an ATV.

·       A forestry worker in Northland was killed by a falling tree.

·       A road worker was killed when a road roller overturned in Ongarue.

·       A mowing contractor died near Lyttleton when his mower overturned.

·       A roofer fell from a height of 10 metres while working in Whangarei.

·       A South Canterbury farm worker was crushed by a bull.