A Hamilton plastics firm has been fined $42,000 after a worker suffered cuts and needed stitches because a piece of machinery lacked appropriate guards.
Proform Plastics Limited, which makes plastic protective covers for utes, was fined in Hamilton District Court on Tuesday after earlier admitting a health and safety charge, the Department of Labour said in a statement.
In October last year an employee was using a computer-controlled router to trim tailgates.
A tailgate jammed in the machine, and believing it had stopped completely, the worker reached across to cut it free with a grinder.
The blade began moving again, cutting the worker's arm.
Judge Merilina Burnett fined Proform $42,000. The maximum fine is $500,000.
The man was extremely lucky to suffer only minor injuries, said the department's central general manager Ona De Rooy.
"This accident could have been avoided entirely if Proform Plastics had put in place adequate guarding and interlocking devices to ensure the safety of its workers."
NZN