'Too many' work accidents in New Zealand
A series of work accidents are to be investigated by the Department of Labour in New Zealand after a man lost four fingers in a forestry accident yesterday. This has attracted the attention of the department as the number of serious injuries reported within the forestry industry seems to have spiked to the point where something needs changing.
The wounded man in question is 20 years of age and working in the Wharerata Forest where four of the fingers on his right hand were severed at about 11.45am. He was then flown to the Gisbourne Hospital where he stayed until it was decided he would be better off in the Waikato Hospital and was transferred there.
This is the sixth report of "serious harm" to a worker within a Gisborne workplace in the last six months. The most recent was injured by wire when a steel cable dragged his hand into a pulley. Though his workmates were quick to act, recovering their colleagues fingers and keeping them safe in a plastic bag, the spokeswoman for Waikato Hospital, Marianne Gill tells that they were unable to reattach them later on.
The man is in a recovery ward and expected to go into surgery later on today. The man joins another Turangi man at Waikato who had also severed four fingers. The 59 year old lost the fingers and damaged his hand while attempting to free a branch trapped in a mulcher.
The Department of Labour Hawke's Bay and East Coast service manager Murray Thomson stated that the organisation was concerned at the sheer number of fatalities and serious harm incidents that have been taking place in the forestry industry. "This level is reflected in the accident rate in the Hawke's Bay East Coast region," he said.
He also related how there had been 48 "serious harm incidents" already looked into by the Department of Labour in the Gisborne area since 2006. In the last year there have been six incidents, while in the last year there were 12, 19 in 2007 and 11 in 2006. It is known that the Gisbourne man had been hired by a contractor to Juken NZ. Sheldon Drummond, general manager of the forests in Juken New Zealand was no available for comment this morning.
Mr Thomson told of how; "Forestry is traditionally a dangerous industry and everyone has to part to play in keeping themselves and others safe. Any workplace fatality is one too many. Everyone has the right to return home from work safe and in good health."
Another spokesman Bill Johnston felt the accidents were "of concern" but also that there was little could be done apart from giving the workers training refreshers.
"I wish there was a magic answer, but there isn't," he said. "No one likes to see someone they work with get hurt or maimed. I think for all of us it's about re-emphasising some of the hazards that are actually there. You have to ask 'are these people adequately matched for the tasks they are doing? It really comes back to training, that's what we try to do" he said.
Updated on 23/05/2009