A large South Canterbury farming company has been fined and ordered to pay reparations after a worker was crushed to death by a hydraulic tailgate on a trailer in 2022.
The March 2022 incident occurred when Louis van Heerden, 45, was standing at the back of a dark, narrow shed at Turley Farms near Temuka as a spotter while grass seed was tipped off the trailer. He was killed after being crushed by the trailer’s hydraulic tailgate.
An investigation by WorkSafe found Turley Farms had “no specific plan” for managing indoor traffic.
“In addition, workers should not have been permitted in such a restricted space,” WorkSafe said.
Yesterday, Turley Farms was sentenced at the Timaru District Court for health and safety failings.
The company was fined $247,500 and ordered to pay $201,477 in reparations.
Following van Heerden’s death, Turley Farms introduced reversing cameras, closing arms, and isolation valves to the back of its trailers.
The company’s sentencing prompted a warning from WorkSafe, which called on farmers to consider how vehicles move inside barns and sheds.
“Farmers are tempting fate if they think traffic only needs to be managed outdoors. Without a clear plan for how vehicles and people move around indoor barns and sheds, it’s only a matter of time before something goes terribly wrong,” WorkSafe area investigation manager Steve Kelly said.
Kelly said it was a reminder to look at how tractors and other vehicles move around inside farm buildings.
“Clear separation of vehicles and pedestrians is the key component. Signage and designated safe areas are also simple and inexpensive ways to boost safety – especially when compared to a conviction and a fine,” he said.
According to WorkSafe, vehicles were a leading cause of death and injury on New Zealand farms — accounting for 25% of serious acute harm nationwide while having only 6% of employment.
