Mainfreight Limited

Postal, transport and warehousing

7 November 2013

The Defendant company operates as a logistics provider with branches around the world. The Defendant’s Palmerston North depot is a modern freight facility which receives both road and rail freight transport units and has raised docks that enable freight to be loaded and unloaded at the floor level of railway wagons and trucks.

On the day of the incident, the victim, who had been employed as a storeman for three months, was working in a team of four unloading freight from railway wagons. Another employee attempted to unlatch the end of a curtain-sided railway wagon and the curtain would not release from the latch. The victim went over to assist and in the course of pulling on the curtain, an unsecured pallet fell from the wagon and struck his back. The pallet was loaded with steel wire mesh and steel staples with plastic wrapped around the load weighing 152 kilograms. The pallet fell from a height of approximately two metres.

The victim suffered bruising to the nerves in his spine and to his lower back. He initially lost feeling from the neck down, however, regained feeling and was discharged from hospital later that that day.

• Sections 6 and 50(1)(a) of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992
• Sections 13(a) and 50(1)(a) of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992

Palmerston North - District Court

• Section 6: Guilty
• Section 13(a): Withdrawn

• Section 6: Convicted
• Section 13(a): Withdrawn

$32,500

$250,000

$6,000