Boost Safety Standards in Your Business Now! - WorkSafe Warns.

WorkSafe calls on manufacturing businesses to enhance safety standards, emphasizing that too many workers are losing their fingers in industrial machinery.

In the past two months alone, courts have imposed over half a million dollars in penalties on companies whose employees have suffered finger amputations at work.

In a recent case, Thompson Engineering in Timaru was fined $247,000 and ordered to pay $35,000 in reparations after a worker had two fingers amputated and a third degloved by a punch and shear machine in January 2022. Similarly, Anglo Engineering in Auckland faced a $200,000 fine. It was ordered to pay $35,337 in reparations after a worker had three fingers partially amputated by a punch and forming press in March 2022.

WorkSafe principal inspector Mark Donaghue expressed concern over the frequency of life-altering injuries among workers. "We receive notifiable injuries weekly, ranging from smaller amputations to more significant entanglement and amputation injuries," he said. "These incidents are preventable and happen far too often."

Donaghue highlighted that machinery, if not properly maintained, can cause a variety of injuries, including cutting, entanglement, crushing, degloving, and projectile-type injuries.

Businesses must take responsibility for worker safety. Smaller operators may lack resources, but this does not excuse them from ensuring proper training and equipment maintenance.

"Ultimately, they're not taking ownership of their equipment and legal duties to keep workers safe," Donaghue stated.

At OHS Consultants, we are dedicated to helping businesses prevent these tragic and costly incidents. Ensure your staff is well-trained and your machinery properly maintained by partnering with us.

Visit www.ohsconsultants.co.nz today to learn how we can help you boost your safety standards and protect your workforce. Don’t wait for an accident to happen—take action now!