SAFETY BREACHES Penalties ‘Too Light9

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30847, 4 September 1965, Page 1

SAFETY BREACHES Penalties ‘Too Light 9

(N Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Sept 3. Penalties for companies breaching safety regulations were criticised during discussion of the estimates for the Labour Department in Parliament today. Mr W. A. Fox (Opp., Miramar said a building constructor in Wellington had been fined £6O after the death of a worker. In another case a man had been charged with manslaughter because he left a safety pin out of a suspended scaffolding stay, leading to the deaths of two men The company had already been convicted three times of safety breaches, said Mr Fox Because penalties were not heavy enough employers did not worry about safety inspectors. If penalties were raised the department's inspectors could be freed for more work. The Minister of Labour (Mr Shand) said the department

was short of six inspectors, “Competent inspectors are just not to be found.” They had to be trained by the department “The real enforcement of safety must come from the employer on the job. It is essential employers have on each job someone responsible for safety.” Mr Shand said the department was not responsible for the charge laid against the construction company. The Department of Justice felt a manslaughter charge would not be answerable. CIVIL CLAIMS

The conviction of the company had made it liable for civil claims by the dead man’s wife and family, Mr Shand said.

Mr N. V. Douglas (Opp., Auckland Central) said the Minister appeared satisfied with the position that a claim could be lodged against the company, which he named as the Williams Construction Company. This was of small comfort to the widow and her children. “This cannot alter the fact

this was the callous killing of a worker. If ever there was a case for making an example of a non-compliant employer this was one.”