Media Release

18 August 2010

The sentences imposed today on South Road Quarries Limited and its director, Shane Michael Kells, underline the importance of effective hazard identification and electrical isolation according to the Department of Labour.

South Road Quarries Limited pleaded guilty to two charges under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of its employees while at work and failing to ensure that there are effective methods in place to identify existing hazards to employees at work.

Mr Kells pleaded guilty to one charge that was laid on the basis that directors of companies are also personally liable where their company has breached any duty under the Act, where the director has been involved in the breach.

South Road Quarries Limited was fined a total of $30,000 and Mr Kells was convicted and discharged.

In October 2009 an employee of the company, Kenneth Richard Jenkins was injured while cleaning the rock crushing plant at the quarry in South Taranaki.

The crushing jaws from the rock crusher were removed to be serviced and the rock crusher was not being used at the time. While Mr Jenkins was cleaning the rock crushing plant, the power generator was switched on to carry out welding work. This supplied power to the conveyor that fed rocks to the plant Mr Jenkins was cleaning. A rock that was on the conveyor fell on Mr Jenkins’ head.

The Department of Labour’s Regional Manager, Central, Brett Murray says that this accident could easily have been prevented if the company made sure that the conveyor was isolated from the main generator.

“Quarries are high risk workplaces with many potential hazards and an area of focus for the Department. All workplaces should have a system in place for identifying potential hazards to employees and action should be taken to eliminate, isolate or minimize these hazards”.

ENDS

Please note that health and safety services, formerly referred to as Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) should now be referred to as the Department of Labour.