The managing director of the Hamilton cool store that exploded last year, killing firefighter Derek Lovell and injuring several of his colleagues, apologised yesterday, but it wasn't accepted by some of Mr Lovell's colleagues.
Wayne Grattan, who headed Icepak Coolstore Ltd, was fined $30,000 in Hamilton District Court on a Health and Safety in Employment charge.
The company was fined $37,200 on two charges and ordered to pay reparation of $95,000 to Mr Lovell's family and to the seven firefighters who were injured, while Mobile Refrigeration Specialists Ltd, which was contracted to provide refrigeration services at the Tamahere site, was fined $56,000 and ordered to pay reparation of $175,000.
Both companies and Grattan had earlier pleaded guilty to charges laid by the Department of Labour.
Grattan read a statement to the court offering an apology on behalf of himself and his company to the victims and their families for their loss and suffering.
He told the firefighters in court that his company "accepts responsibility for what happened on April 5 2008 and accepts that mistakes were made in the design of the cool store".
But Dennis Wells, one of the firefighters injured in the Tamahere fire, wasn't convinced by the apology.
He said the court case was never about money for the firefighters involved, but they felt "it has always been about money" for Icepak and its directors, whom he accused of hiding behind a corporate veil to avoid paying more in reparation.
An emotional Mr Wells said the loss of Mr Lovell still haunted them.
"We all feel very deeply the loss of our mate Derek Lovell. As fire officers we appreciate there are risks involved in what we do.."
"This case, however, did not present any discernible risk at all. It was a routine call out with no apparent sign of danger."
"Had Icepak paid adequate attention to safety in the same way they do to generating profit and minimising their liability, Derek would still be alive and we would not have suffered as we have and some continue to do."
In awarding reparation to the widow and family of Mr Lovell and the fire-fighters injured in the blast, Judge Robert Spear said he was required to take into account precedents set in previous court cases in awarding reparation for loss of life and injury.
He also took into account the financial status of both companies in regard to their ability to pay.
Icepak Coolstores has indicated it is now insolvent, but its directors had offered to pay $95,000 reparation.
Mobile Refrigeration Specialists had also made an offer of reparation which, although the company and shareholders Warren and Sonya Cook were according to their counsel bankrupt, could be provided for from their insurance cover.
Reparation of $60,000 was awarded to Mr Lovell's widow Milli, with amounts between $20,000 and $50,000 going to injured firefighters.
NZPA