Port worker injured after safety concerns revealed
An ambulance was called to treat an injured worker at the Ports of Auckland last week — just two days after a damning report revealed widespread safety concerns.
The Ports of Auckland has been linked to three deaths in recent years and last Tuesday an independent health and safety review found the need for significant improvements.
Ports chief executive Tony Gibson said things would change but on Thursday a stevedore fell almost two metres through a rusted hatch on a ship.
Maritime Union Auckland spokesman Grant Williams said the woman landed on her tailbone and had a number of injuries.
“Her arm, her thumb, shin, ankles, not life-threatening [but] serious enough to be off work, but she’s doing all right, she’s in good spirits right now,” Williams said.
The ship was supposed to have been inspected by a supervisor — and Williams said the buck stopped with the Ports.
“Ports of Auckland have a responsibility to maintain a safe workplace and she was able to be injured so you could argue that they had some responsibility.”
It’s understood the injured worker was taken to hospital by ambulance but is now recovering at home.
In a statement, the Ports of Auckland said the stevedore had minor injuries, — with a further inspection of the ship revealing other hatches were also corroded.
The vessel was issued with an improvement notice and Ports of Auckland staff were withdrawn from work in the affected areas.
Checkpoint has spoken to a worker who saw the state of the ship and said the stevedore was lucky her injuries were not much worse, with a multitude of safety issues onboard — more corroded hatches, unsecured walkways and problems with handrails.
In a statement, the Ports of Auckland said the vessel the stevedore was injured on had previously been worked at Lyttelton port and was then inspected on arrival in Auckland.
A spokesperson said the corrosion issue was not discovered by the Ports of Auckland or reported to it.
Maritime New Zealand said it was investigating Thursday’s incident at the Ports.