Benchmark Homes Canterbury Limited

Building and construction

25 November 2014

The Defendant company was the principal contractor at a residential construction site. The Defendant engaged Bowness Built Limited (“Bowness”) to carry out building work at the site including construction of the roof.

The Defendant engaged another company to provide safety nets as fall protection for the site; however, safety nets were not installed in small places.

On the day of the incident, the director and two employees of Bowness were erecting trusses to form the frame of the roof. The victim was 17 years old and had been employed for two weeks.

After nine trusses had been erected, before they were cross-braced, a gust of wind knocked the trusses off balance and they fell in a domino fashion. The trusses hit victim on the head causing him to become unconscious. The victim was pinned down between the ceiling plate and the trusses, with one leg hanging over a wardrobe space where there was no safety net. When the trusses were lifted off the victim, he fell through the wardrobe space onto a concrete slab three metres below.

The victim suffered three fractures to two vertebrae within the lumbar region, a concussion and 27 stiches to the lip.

Bowness Built Limited

Sections 18(1)(a) and 50(1)(a) of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992

Christchurch - District Court

Guilty

Convicted

$36,000

$250,000

$10,000 (an additional $10,000 was paid by Bowness)