Coastwide Flooring to pay $160,000 over worker s death while installing carpet
29 Apr, 2021 05:08 AM
2 minutes to read
NZ Herald
A West Coast flooring company has been ordered to pay over $160,000 following the death of one of its workers.
Coastwide Flooring Limited were fined $60,000 for failing to ensure the health and safety of its workers, and ordered to pay reparations of $105,000 to the victim s family.
The maximum penalty Greymouth District Court could have imposed on Coastwide Flooring was $1.5 million.
The incident occurred in March 2019, when an employee of Coastwide Flooring was installing carpet in a Greymouth building using a strong organic solvent-based adhesive.
Date Time
Experience no substitute for risk management The death of a West Coast flooring company employee has drawn a strong warning from WorkSafe New Zealand to businesses not to rely on the experience of workers in the absence of proper risk identification and management.
In March 2019 an employee of Coastwide Flooring Limited was installing carpet in a Greymouth building using a strong organic solvent-based adhesive. The worker had 17 years’ experience in the industry.
He was found unresponsive by a co-worker and died three days later in Christchurch Hospital’s intensive care unit.
WorkSafe’s Investigations Manager for the South Island, Steve Kelly, said the company had a lax approach to health and safety.
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