Court Summary - at a glance

Date of offence:
20 November 2014
 
Plea:
Guilty
 
Decision:
Convicted
 
Final decision date:
 
Fine imposed:
$25,000

Safety lessons learned:
  1. Ensure that a hood guard and riving knife are fitted to a saw in accordance with guidelines relating to the use of circular saws.
  2. Ensure that push sticks are used to protect against accidental contact with saw blades.
  3. Ensure an adequate system is in place to identify and control hazards associated with using a saw.

Defendant name:
Steelcap Holdings Limited (trading as Sanders Premier)
 
Industry:
Manufacturing
 
Date of offence:
20 November 2014
 
Facts in brief:
The defendant company, trading as Sanders Premier, manufactures and builds gates, fences, decks, gazebos and garden sheds.

The victim was employed by the defendant as a factory labourer and was responsible for the milling of timber, manufacture of gates and other sundry products.

On the day of the incident, the victim was cutting timber on a saw bench. The victim guided a plank of timber through the Macma MJ2325B table saw bench with his left hand and in doing so suffered serious harm.

A push stick had been provided to push the timber through the machine; however, the victim did not use the push stick. The machine was found to be without a hood guard or a riving knife.

The victim suffered amputation of his left middle finger, near amputation of his left index finger and lacerations to the left thumb and ring finger. The victim’s left index finger was reattached.
 
Offence section:
Section 6 and section 50(1)(a) of the Health and Safety in Employment Act
 
Date(s) charged:

Court:
North Shore - District Court
 
Plea:
Guilty
 
Final decision date:
 
Decision:
Convicted
 
Fine imposed:
$25,000
 
Maximum fine available:
$250,000
 
Reparation:
$8,000