Home News Industry Updates Work death highlights construction company negligence

July 2019

Work death highlights construction company negligence

14 Jun 2019, Industry Updates, News

South Island construction company Crafar Crouch is facing fines, reparations and costs of more than $500,000 after a worker was killed when the truck he was driving rolled down a bank

In a decision released in early May, Blenheim District Court ordered Picton-based Crafar Crouch Construction Limited to pay a fine of $351,563 and reparations of $177,735 following the fatal incident.

The worker was killed in June 2017 when the dump truck he was driving veered off the road and down a bank in the Marlborough Sounds. A WorkSafe investigation found that several health and safety measures were ignored by the company, which led to the worker’s death.

Crafar Crouch was said to have failed in communicating, monitoring, and enforcing policies that ensure vehicles are only driven by workers who have appropriate licenses and are wearing seatbelts. The worker was hired as a labourer and was not licensed to drive the six-tonne truck he was operating.

The investigation also found there were numerous accounts of the workers being allowed to drive trucks, despite the company being aware of their inexperience. The company was also aware that the roads being driven on were dangerous.

According to WorkSafe, trucks are the leading cause of vehicle deaths and businesses need to understand the severity of accidents involving vehicles.

“Crafar Crouch had policies around vehicles but, in this instance, ignored them and allowed someone with very little truck driving experience to jump behind the wheel,” said WorkSafe Chief Inspector Investigations Steve Kelly.

“The company was very aware of the risks involved and unfortunately this incident has ended with a young worker tragically losing his life and a family grieving for the loss of a loved one.”  

The company was sentenced under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, which states that a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) has a duty to ensure the health and safety of workers, and that Crafar Crouch Construction Limited failed to comply with that duty, exposing workers to a risk of death and serious injury.


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