Court Summary - at a glance

Date of offence:
24 September 2014
 
Plea:
Guilty
 
Decision:
Convicted
 
Final decision date:
 
Fine imposed:
$15,000

Safety lessons learned:
  1. To ensure adequate health and safety policies were in place;
  2. To ensure the warehouse was a safe working environment for its staff, including having appropriate edge protection and effective fall arrest systems;
  3. To ensure that staff working in the warehouse were adequately trained for working at a height including the use of lanyards and harnesses;
  4. To consult adequately with Knight Group to identify risks, agree how to work at height safely, and monitor this effectively.

Defendant name:
Devon Staffing Solutions Limited
 
Industry:
Wholesale trade
 
Date of offence:
24 September 2014
 
Facts in brief:
The Defendant operates a labour hire company and was contracted to supply staff to Knight Group NZ Ltd. Knight Group NZ Ltd operates a furniture importing business and owns a warehouse in New Plymouth where imported furniture is stored.

On the day of the incident the victim, an employee of the Defendant, was manually loading stock onto elevated platforms in the warehouse. The victim used an order picker to raise a pallet, which was loaded with stock, to a platform four metres above ground. The victim was moving a box from the order picker to the platform when the platform broke and the victim fell to the concrete floor below.

The victim was knocked unconscious, suffered a laceration to his scalp, concussion and a fractured right pubic ramus.
 
Related prosecutions:
 
Offence section:
Section 6 and section 50(1)(a) of the Health and Safety in Employment Act
 
Date(s) charged:

Court:
New Plymouth - District Court
 
Plea:
Guilty
 
Final decision date:
 
Decision:
Convicted
 
Fine imposed:
$15,000
 
Maximum fine available:
$250,000
 
Reparation:
$10,000 (in conjunction with Knight Group Ltd - already paid to victim)
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