Two workers who narrowly dodged death as fumes from a toxic gas pit overcame them were not warned of the risk before beginning their work.
Taylorville Resource Park Limited and Paul Smith Earthmoving 2002 Ltd were sentenced at the Greymouth District Court today after sending workers to fix the smell of rotting plasterboard at the Taylorville Resource Park near Greymouth in 2023.
The smell was hydrogen sulphide, a toxic, colourless gas which can paralyse a person’s breathing system and kill in minutes.
The workers were not told of “dangerously high levels” of the gas measured at the contaminated waste facility just weeks before.
While at the site, an excavator operator went into the pit to clear a pump blockage. As he was climbing out, he fell face-first into a black liquid at the base.
His supervisor saw what happened from above and jumped in to rescue his colleague. He lost consciousness twice before eventually climbing out and calling for help.
The two survivors, whose names have been suppressed, both suffered ongoing impacts following the incident.
The 38-year-old excavator operator suffered chemical burns to his eyes, chemical pneumonitis, atrial fibrillation, and seizures.
He had since returned to work, but had no memory of what had happened.
The man said he “feels bad for what for what happened” to his colleague “and the stress he had to go through when he pulled me out of the leachate”.
Flashbacks for six months of being in the pit
The supervisor, now 64, suffered from toxic gas exposure and was living with post-traumatic stress disorder and unable to return to work.
“Every night for the first six months after the incident and now once a week, I wake up suffering flashbacks, thinking I am still in the pit, not being able to breathe, and thinking I am going to die,” he said.
He said the incident left him in a “dark financial situation” and destroyed his social life.
“My entire social circle consisted solely of my workmates so, when I lost my job, I suddenly lost my social network and became socially isolated and alone… losing my social circle has probably been my biggest loss.
“This incident has taken away my life, all my goals and aspirations can no longer be achieved. The mental, physical, and financial impacts have had a profound impact in every area of my life and will continue to do so for a long time.”
A WorkSafe investigation into the incident found the risk assessment and planning for the excavation work was “inadequate”.
The workers were not informed of the risks associated with hydrogen sulphide, and there were no gas monitors on-site.
At sentencing today, Taylorville Resource Park was fined $302,500, and Paul Smith Earthmoving was fined $272,250. Reparations of $81,256 were also ordered.
WorkSafe’s inspectorate head Rob Pope praised the two men for their strength throughout the prosecution.
“We salute the courage it has taken for these two survivors to stay strong throughout our investigation and prosecution,” he said.
“The experience these men have gone through was both terrifying and completely avoidable. It’s only by sheer luck that both survived. Businesses must manage their health and safety risks and, when they do not, we will hold them to account.”
