Anger at Affco after dad’s death

The son of a man killed at a Wairoa meat works says the family and the community want answers about how the accident could occur.

Alfred William Pohatu Edwards, 61, known as Baldy, died at the Affco plant in Wairoa last week. WorkSafe is investigating, and the plant is closed.

One of Edwards’ five children, Moana Edwards, said he understood that his father was crushed by overstacked pallets in the freezer.

He was not found for hours, despite a rule that workers in the freezer should work in pairs, he said. The plant was understood to have been storing extra meat that could not be shipped to China due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Moana Edwards said he had been told that some workers walked off the job last week because of safety concerns about the pallets.

‘‘We want answers, and not just for us. The whole community wants answers.’’

WorkSafe said it had been notified of another incident at the plant in December – a wrist injury, which sources have told

resulted in a worker’s hand being almost severed.

Moana Edwards said his father had worked at the plant off and on for more than 40 years.

His father was a ‘‘very proud union man’’. During a lengthy lockout at the plant in 2015, he had helped families struggling to feed their children.

Despite anger towards Affco, ‘‘people in Wairoa realise they have to make some sort of money, so they have to work there, there are no other jobs’’.

Managers of the plant’s owner, Talley’s, have offered to meet with the family, and Moana Edwards said they were keen to do so.

The family had also been angry that they were not allowed to see Alfred Edwards where he lay on the night of his death while police investigated.

‘‘They would not let us see Dad, and yet they had police and the management of Affco all going in and out of there.’’

Moana Edwards said he addressed the incident at his father’s funeral because his father’s workmates were feeling bad about the way he died.

Affco chief executive Nigel Stevens said the company’s priority was on supporting the family and employees. He said he could not comment further because the incident was subject to a full investigation.

‘‘We want answers ... the whole community wants answers.’’

Moana Edwards Son of dead worker