A mechanics workshop has been fined $20,000 after a young untrained worker was crushed by a six-tonne truck he was working under on his second day on the job in Waikato.
GTT Mechanical 2018 Limited was sentenced at the Hamilton District Court last Friday for failing to ensure the victim’s health and safety at work in the November 2018 incident, WorkSafe acting Chief Inspector Danielle Henry said in a statement.
A WorkSafe investigation identified a number of health and safety failings arising from the incident, which saw the trainee seriously injured when he was crushed by the truck he was working under.
The worker was asked without supervision to remove parts of a trunk, disabling the cardan shaft hand brake before the incident, Ms Henry said.
“The truck had been driven onto wooden blocks to allow the worker access underneath it, creating a hazardous environment. The truck was located on a slight incline leading to it rolling off the wooden blocks and onto the worker.
“You must use the correct equipment when working underneath vehicles. In this case axle stands or a vehicle hoist would have been most appropriate – not stacks of wooden blocks.”
The man was hospitalised for almost two months after suffering fractures to his ribs, pelvis and sternum, as well as a punctured lung and nerve damage.
“The worker was considered a trainee, yet the company had no formal training programme in place to monitor, supervise and progress them in their work," she said.
“Working with heavy machinery is dangerous stuff and to expose an inexperienced worker to that level of risk, without appropriate mitigation or training is totally unacceptable.”
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