Worker injured by unsafe machine

An Auckland manufacturer has been fined $26,500 for an accident in February 2010 at its plant which led to part of a worker’s finger being amputated.

Ingersoll-Rand Architectural Hardware Limited was also ordered to pay reparations of $5,000.

At the time of the accident the employee was making parts of door hinges on a punch and forming press machine. He was removing a completed part when his finger was crushed by the machine, requiring part of it to be amputated.

“Even though the machine was guarded, our investigation found that the machine and the guarding weren’t regularly maintained and the guarding wasn’t working properly,” says the Department of Labour’s Northern Regional Manager, Claire Morris.

“This worker has lost part of a finger because the company didn’t take the appropriate precautions on the machine.

“Sadly hundreds of people are injured in New Zealand workplaces every year in similar accidents. We have a project under way to reduce the number of serious harm and fatal accidents resulting from the unsafe use of machinery.

“We’re focusing on industries such as food processing and manufacturing, which have a high number of incidents involving inadequate guards.”

“Since the project started in August 2010, we’ve visited 575 workplaces across the country to discuss the project and increase awareness of machine guarding,” Ms Morris says.