9 December 2014
Fine over needless forklift death
Whangarei based Kiwi Timber Protection Limited has been fined $45,000 and ordered to pay reparation of $94,040 after one
of its employees was killed when the forklift he was driving tipped over.
Mill hand Mark Blincoe died in February this year after a forklift he was driving rolled backwards down a driveway hit a
pile of steel and toppled over. Mr Blincoe was thrown out of the vehicle and the cab of the forklift landed on top of
him, causing fatal crush injuries. He died at the scene.
A WorkSafe New Zealand investigation found that the forklift’s handbrake was in the ‘on’ position at the time of the
incident but was not working properly. Problems with the forklift’s performance had been reported to the company twice
in the previous month including an entry in the shift-log noting that the brakes were faulty just six days before Mr
Blincoe was killed.
Kiwi Timber Protection Limited pleaded guilty to a charge under sections 6 and 50 of the Health and Safety in Employment
Act for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of Mr Blincoe while at work. The company was
sentenced yesterday in the Whangarei District Court.
WorkSafe’s Chief Investigator Keith Stewart says Kiwi Timber Protection did not have adequate systems in place to ensure
its forklifts were properly checked and maintained.
“The forklift Mark Blincoe was driving was unsafe and should not have been in use. There can be no excuse for ignoring
the reports of problems with the vehicle. If Kiwi Timber Protection Ltd had adequate systems in place for checking and
maintaining their forklift fleet Mr Blincoe might still be alive – it is as simple as that.
“But there were also other failings identified in our investigation. The forklift had no seatbelt fitted and Mr Blincoe
had no formal training as a forklift driver. That is just not good enough.
“Mark Blincoe’s death was needless and is a sad reminder that forklifts are a serious workplace hazard. They need to be
treated with due caution and care,” says Keith Stewart.
The reparation order included $34,040 that had already been paid voluntarily by Kiwi Timber Protection.
ENDS