Charges after silo death

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32450, 10 November 1970, Page 3

Charges after silo death

(New Zealand Press Association) DUNEDIN, November 9. Charges arising from a fatal accident at the New Zealand Cement Holdings, Ltd, silo at Cross Wharf on May 11 were adjourned part heard until Friday, by Mr T. A. Ross, S.M., in the Dunedin Magistrate’s Court today.

Dunedin Engineering and Steel Company, Ltd is charged with failing to take all reasonable precautions to en-

sure the safety of workmen employed, failing to ensure that the work of adjusting the position of the roof structure was adequately supervised, and failing to ensure that temporary works were constructed for the purpose intended, on May 11. The company pleaded not guilty to all three charges and was represented by Mr

M. H. N. Haggitt. Mr J. B. Deaker, appearing for the Department of Labour’s safety inspector, asked leave to withdraw the second charge and amend the third, but the Magistrate reserved his decision until the evidence had been heard. The company was erecting a cement silo 84ft high and 32ft in diameter, Mr Deaker said.

The main part of the silo had been completed and the roof structure was about to be permanently fixed in position. The structure had been winched up 'inside the silo

I during construction and had I been bolted through face ■ plates at the end of the trus- ■ ses to the main structure.

“It was found, however, that the whole, roof structure had to be moved anti-clock-wise about 6ft to coincide with certain holes for pipes to enter,” Mr Deaker said. While this was being done four steel cleats which were to hold the roof up collapsed and the roof plunged to the bottom of the silo, carrying the men with it.

The roof structure weighed more than 3| tons so that, with friction, something more than mild steel plate cleats was necessary before movement was made. “One might have expected the consultant engineer to have been approached before this particular part of the' work was undertaken,” Mr Deaker said. “In the result the matter

comes down very seriously to one of lack of supervision and failure to take all reasonable precautions for the safety of .workmen,” Mr Deaker said? 1