Company fined $210,000 following serious injury...
The District Court has fined a company for stupid acts which lead to a serious head injury for one of its employees.
The employee fell from a scaffold which had not been properly erected and landed head first, suffering serious injuries.
After the accident another employee tried to cover up the events by lowering the scaffolding and preparing a written Health & Safety plan for the work.
There had been a written safety plan, but then extra work was added and only an oral amendment to the plan was made. However, the oral plan was not followed and this resulted in the serious injury.
The Court ordered $30,000 reparation on top of the $18,000 already contributed by the employer, plus a $210,000 fine (starting point $390,000 but reduced for the guilty plea and other mitigating factors).
If there are concerns about the health and safety practices in your workplace, it is wise to speak with a professional experienced in the area.