MEDIA ReleaSE
8 november 2012
Meat processor fined after employee crushes hand
An Oamaru meat processor has been fined $47,250 and ordered to pay $10,500 in reparation after an employee’s hand was
crushed between unguarded fixed rollers on a conveyor belt.
The Oamaru District Court heard today that in January this year at the Lean Meats Oamaru Limited premises on Redcastle
Road, Oamaru the worker was packing cuts of meat after they had been vacuum packed. As she tried to mop up excess water
from the conveyor her hand became trapped in the fixed rollers leading to crush injuries needing hospital treatment.
Acting MBIE Labour Group General Manager Southern, Francois Barton, said: “Unguarded machinery is extremely dangerous
and an accident waiting to happen. There were several simple steps available to the employer that would have safeguarded
against this sort of incident happening that were not taken - such as replacing fixed rollers with pop-out ones or
putting in tunnel guards.
“This case illustrates the importance of effective safety auditing that identifies all possible trapping points and
either removes them completely or guards them effectively.
MBIE Labour has a three-year project under way with the aim of reducing the number of workplace accidents involving
unguarded and inadequately guarded machinery.
Conveyors are a well-known hazard across a range of industries and have been involved in incidents and accidents for
many years. Publications on current best practice in safe machine guarding are available on the MBIE Labour website at www.osh.govt.nz/order/catalogue/66.shtml
ENDS