A Bay of Plenty kiwifruit worker’s life “changed in one second” after a forklift accident at work led to his leg being amputated below the knee. Two years on, workplace health and safety regulator WorkSafe says it dropped a charge against the man’s Te Puke employer after the kiwifruit industry “major player” committed to safety initiatives worth more than $500,000 in response to the incident. WorkSafe said in a statement the Trevelyan’s Pack and Cool employee was struck while walking behind a reversing forklift and had his left leg and foot run over on April 25, 2022.
His foot was run over again when the driver moved the forklift forward. The injuries meant his lower left leg was amputated below the knee. The victim said via the WorkSafe statement his injury badly impacted his retirement savings because he planned to work for five or 10 more years, but had not been able to.
“My life changed in one second ...
Since then, everyday tasks like dressing, showering, and walking have become challenging. “My mental health has been up and down, it is physically difficult for me to play with my grandchildren, and sometimes even lying in bed is painful.” The man received reparations of about $123,000 from Trevelyan’s.
WorkSafe said Trevelyan’s – New Zealand’s largest single-site kiwifruit and avocado packhouse – was charged under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. In response to the incident, Trevelyan’s submitted an enforceable undertaking to WorkSa.