Businesses that use scissor lifts should take a fresh look at safety, after a worker fell from height and died over the holiday period.
Jun Jiang suffered a fall from a scissor lift in Auckland on 28 December 2024, and died days later in hospital. We’re now investigating how this happened.
Scissor lifts, also known as mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs), are useful but complex pieces of equipment often used for access in hazardous areas. Operators must be trained and competent before using a MEWP and must follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions. They must also use safe working practices and operate the MEWP within its limits.
“If you have a scissor lift on your worksite, now is a good time to review what it’s used for and capable of. Re-familiarise yourself with the manufacturer’s instructions, check tasks are appropriate for the platform, ensure risk assessments and standard operating procedures are relevant, and ensure staff are trained and competent to use the equipment,” says WorkSafe’s area investigation manager, Danielle Henry.
The causes of elevated work platform injuries and deaths investigated by WorkSafe include:
not following the manufacturer’s recommendations
inadequate training and supervision
equipment failure
not fully assessing the hazards and risks of the job, site, and equipment.
Boom lifts and vertical lifts are the two basic types of MEWPs. Both can help workers reach elevated areas but have very different capabilities. Businesses must choose the best platform for the task, given the type of work and the work environment. The work needs to be properly planned and hazards and risks managed at the worksite.
WorkSafe’s good practice guidelines outline when harnesses are required for work in mobile elevating work platforms.
Significant work continues in the Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe, with no signs of any further Oriental fruit flies to date, says Mike Inglis, Biosecurity New Zealand commissioner north.
“We have placed more than 100 extra traps in the area, and checking of all of them has not found any signs of other fruit flies so far,” Mr Inglis says.
“Specialist staff in our mobile laboratory, which is set up at our response base in Auckland, have been hard at work examining fruit and vegetables collected from within Zones A and B. They’ve processed more than 100kg of fruit so far and we’ve found no larvae or eggs, which helps to provide assurance that we are not dealing with a breeding population.”
Mr Inglis thanked the community for its efforts and sector groups for their support.
“We’ve surveyed more than 500 local properties and the fruit grown on them, and we’ll continue to talk to residents, local businesses, and groups, including attending local markets over the weekend to provide information to people. The response from the community is greatly appreciated.
“We have more than 150 people working on the response and a good system in place for how to do things thanks to the 12 previous times we have found and successfully eradicated different fruit flies in New Zealand,” Mr Inglis says.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is seeking feedback on a proposed Animal Products Notice: Dairy Preparedness and Response: Foot and Mouth Disease Incursion (Regulated Control Scheme).
The purpose of the Notice is to enable a regulated control scheme for dairy processors for export, so that processors can maintain business continuity with a high level of assurance in the event of an incursion of foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV).
Background to this consultation
In March of 2023, MPI started working to develop a mechanism that would allow milk collection, transport, processing, and export to continue in the event of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD), with the following objectives:
to facilitate trade negotiation with a high degree of assurance for trading partners
to enable export dairy processors to continue operations with minimal disruption and to obtain an exemption from movement controls
to provide clear and scientifically sound measures to prevent transmission between farms and contamination of the product from dairy operations.
To help achieve these objectives, MPI has developed this Notice. It enables a regulated control scheme under the Animal Products Act 1999 and sets out export requirements for dairy processors that supply their products overseas.
While we prefer email, you can post your submission to:
New Zealand Food Safety Ministry for Primary Industries PO Box 2526 Wellington 6140.
What to include in your submission
If you are using the feedback form, make sure to include:
the name of the consultation document you are submitting on
your name and title
your organisation’s name (if you are submitting on behalf of an organisation, and whether your submission represents the whole organisation or a section of it)
your contact details (such as phone number, address, and email).
Submissions are public information
Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.
People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.
If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.
The biosecurity response to the find of a single male Oriental fruit fly in Papatoetoe is making good progress with extra traps in place, stepped up checks, legal controls introduced, special bins delivered for fruit and vegetable waste disposal, and a mobile lab in place, says Mike Inglis, Biosecurity New Zealand regional Commissioner North.
“Our team have been back out today as we continue to ramp up our response efforts to ensure there are no other fruit flies around,” says Mr Inglis.
“There were already 187 surveillance traps in the Papatoetoe/Mangere area, and by the end of today an extra 105 will be in place within a 1,500 metre area of the original find.
“While we look for more flies, yesterday, we introduced legal controls to restrict the movement of fruit and vegetables around the location where the Oriental fruit fly was found to stop the spread of any other Oriental fruit flies that may be out there.
“We’ve been delivering information to residential letterboxes about the two zones affected by restrictions and people can also find full information about what they need to do here:
“People will notice biosecurity signage up in the area and we delivered special disposal bins for fruit and vegetable waste this morning.”
Mr Inglis says instead of putting waste in rubbish bins to be disposed of normally, residents in the two zones are being asked to put fruit and vegetable waste into the special response bins for Biosecurity New Zealand to dispose of securely.
Every household in Zone A will have a fruit and vegetable disposal bin, and in Zone B, there will be about 34 bins placed around the edge of the zone, primarily on major transport routes and a further 75 placed within the Zone.
“The bins in Zone A will be cleared daily initially, then as required. There will be no need to put them out on the street as they will be serviced, rebagged and insecticide applied in bag and inside lid where they are currently placed. If residents have any issues with the bin or need them clearing earlier, they can call us on 0800 80 99 66.
“I want to thank the local community for their positive response to our team so far. In the previous 12 occasions we’ve found fruit flies in New Zealand we’ve successfully eradicated them with the help of our horticulture sector partners and local communities, so it’s important everyone plays their part. At present, the restrictions will be in place for a fortnight.”
Mr Inglis said a mobile laboratory to examine fruit and vegetables collected from around Papatoetoe for Oriental fruit fly larvae and eggs had been set up.
“The mobile lab work and checking of fruit helps to provide us with an extra layer of certainty that there are no other fruit flies out there,” Mr Inglis says.
To report suspected finds of fruit fly, call MPI’s Pest and Diseases Hotline on 0800 80 99 66.
We will send out a further update if we receive significant new information.
Biosecurity New Zealand has now placed legal controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables in Papatoetoe, says Biosecurity New Zealand Commissioner North Mike Inglis.
The move follows the detection of a single male Oriental fruit fly in a surveillance trap in the area. To date, no other flies have been found in surveillance traps.
“We need community help to make sure we successfully find and eradicate any further fruit flies that may be present in the area,” says Mr Inglis.
Biosecurity New Zealand staff are busy in the area today laying more traps and giving out information to households.
“There have been 12 previous fruit fly incursions in New Zealand, which we have successfully eradicated so we have a very strong and detailed operational plans to guide our work.”
“The rules now in place prohibit moving fruit and vegetables out of a specified controlled area around where the fruit fly was found.
“You can find a detailed map of the controlled area and a full description of the boundaries and rules in place here:
The controlled area has two zones – A and B. Zone A is a 200m zone, with a 198 properties. Zone B covers a 1500 metre area, with 5,470 properties.
Zone A
No whole fresh fruit and vegetables, except for leafy vegetables and soil free root vegetables, can be moved outside Zone A. This applies to all produce, regardless of whether it was bought or grown.
Zone B
All fruit and vegetables grown within Zone B cannot be moved out of the controlled area.
“These legal controls are an important precaution while we investigate whether there are any further fruit flies present in the area,” Mr Inglis says.
“Should there be any more flies out there, this will help prevent their spread out of the area.
“We are working closely with our Government Industry Agreement partners in the horticultural industry. We all appreciate this will be inconvenient for the many people living in and around the controlled area, but following these directions is a critical precaution to protect our horticultural industries, home gardens and our New Zealand way of life.
“It is likely the restrictions will be in place for at least two weeks.”
Signs will also be put in place notifying people of the restrictions and marking the controlled area boundaries.
To report suspected finds of fruit fly, call MPI’s Pest and Diseases Hotline on 0800 80 99 66.
Detail about the controlled area
Zone A
No fruit and vegetables (other than leafy or soil free root vegetables and cooked, processed, preserved, dried, frozen and canned fruit) can be moved from Zone A of the controlled area.
Compost and green waste from gardens also cannot be moved out of this zone.
Residents in Zone A are asked to avoid composting fruit and vegetables. To dispose of fruit and vegetable waste, use a sink waste disposal unit if available, or bins provided by Biosecurity New Zealand. These bins will be delivered shortly, and residents advised of their location.
Zone B
No fruit and vegetables grown in the Zone B can be moved out of the controlled area. You are free to move commercially purchased fruit and vegetables (e.g. fruit and vegetables brought at the supermarket) out of the area. Home grown produce waste and garden waste needs to be disposed of in Biosecurity New Zealand bins.
A biosecurity operation is under way and extra field teams are today in Papatoetoe, Auckland, after the find of a single male Oriental fruit fly in a surveillance trap in a suburban backyard, says Biosecurity New Zealand Commissioner North Mike Inglis.
“Checks of the other 187 traps in the Papatoetoe/Mangere area did not find any fruit flies in them,” says Mr Inglis. “However, our previous experience with the successful eradication of several different types of fruit fly is that we might find other insects, so it is important we move quickly, look for any others and eradicate them.
“We will be ramping up trapping and testing, with daily checks in a 200-metre zone from the original find and three daily testing in a second zone out to 1500m,” Mr Inglis says.
“There have been 12 incursions of different fruit fly in Auckland and Northland since 1996 and all have been successfully eradicated thanks to the work of Biosecurity New Zealand, our horticulture partners, and local communities who have stepped up to help.”
Mr Inglis says the latest find demonstrates the benefit and effectiveness of MPI’s lure-based surveillance trapping network and the biosecurity system.
“Our trapping network involves some 7,878 traps set nationwide, and these are checked regularly.
“By setting traps for these pest insects, we are able to find them early, know exactly where the problem is, and respond quickly and effectively.”
Mr Inglis says the fruit fly poses no human health risk, but there would be an economic cost to the horticulture industry if it were allowed to establish here.
“The capture of a single male does not mean we have an outbreak. However, while we do our checks for any other fruit flies, we need community help to prevent any possible spread.
“As a precautionary measure, we’ll be putting legal restrictions in place on the movement of fruit and vegetables out of the area where the fruit fly was found.
“Instructions about these controls and the exact area affected will be issued by midday Sunday once we have completed an initial investigation. In the meantime, we ask that people who live and work in the suburb not take any whole fresh fruit and vegetables out of your property.”
Mr Inglis says biosecurity staff will be out tomorrow providing people with information.
“You may notice increased activity in the neighbourhood as we go about inspections and trapping. Our field officers may ask to look at fruit trees on your property. They will always show you a form of official identification and will only enter your property with your permission.”
In addition to the field work, Biosecurity New Zealand is working closely with international trading partners and Government Industry Agreement (GIA) partners in the horticultural industry to minimise the risk to New Zealand growers and exporters.
Mr Inglis says Biosecurity New Zealand has among the strictest controls in the world for the importation of fruit and checks at the border. The most likely way that fruit flies can arrive in New Zealand is on fresh fruit and vegetables.
For Media enquiries, call 029 894 0328
To report suspected finds of fruit fly, call MPI’s Pest and Diseases Hotline on 0800 80 99 66.
Background
The Oriental fruit fly is native to Asia but has now spread to many warmer countries, especially as the climate warms. Adult flies lay eggs into fruit. The young stages (maggots) feed inside the fruit, causing it to rot and become unmarketable.
The Oriental fruit fly maggots can feed on 300 different fruit and vegetables. The fly’s favourite hosts are apple, guava, mango, peach, and pear.
How to identify the fly
Adult flies:
are a little larger than a housefly (6mm to 8mm long)
have a dark “T” shaped marking on the abdomen (the part behind the waist)
usually have a bright yellow and orange abdomen (but can vary)
have clear wings.
The female fly has a pointed “sting” to lay eggs inside fruit (but she can’t sting or bite people). The male fruit fly is a similar size but is reddish-brown.
Oriental fruit fly showing dark “T” shaped marking on the abdomen (the part behind the waist)
Female oriental fruit fly laying eggs in fruit. Image: Scott Bauer, USDA.
Farms linked to Mainland Poultry’s Hillgrove site, which tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI H7N6) on 1 December 2024, have been confirmed as free of the virus after testing on thousands of samples at the end of the full incubation period for the disease, says the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).
And there are no signs of the disease anywhere else, providing confidence that HPAI has been restricted to one property, MPI’s chief veterinary officer Mary van Andel says.
“On Sunday, we took about 4,300 samples from 36 flocks across 5 farms linked to Mainland’s Hillgrove layer property, where HPAI H7N6 was confirmed earlier this month, to coincide with the end of the full incubation period for the virus and none returned positive results.
“It is a significant number of tests and gives us confidence that this virus has been contained to just the one property and that we are on track to stamp out this disease.”
Dr van Andel says the Hillgrove site remains under a strict biosecurity lockdown as it undergoes cleaning and decontamination.
“The response effort will continue into the New Year with work to clean and decontaminate the Hillgrove site taking place over a number of weeks. It needs to be done carefully to ensure all traces of the virus have been removed.
“We will work with Mainland Poultry regarding an appropriate stand-down period for the property once decontamination is complete. MPI is working closely with the affected farmer on the matter of compensation.”
Dr van Andel says the clear incubation period testing will help ongoing discussions with trading partners regarding New Zealand poultry exports and highlights the benefit of responding quickly to the bird flu find alongside industry.
“I want to acknowledge Mainland Poultry for working closely with us to stamp this out.
“MPI has had more than 200 people working on this response and the quick work to depopulate the approximately 200,000 chickens at Hillgrove, was the right decision.
“In total we’ve carried out more than 5,600 tests on samples and bird flu has not been found anywhere other than Hillgrove.
“We’re in close contact with relevant trade partners and to date, we’ve reached agreement with Australia to continue the export of some poultry products, including chicken meat, dried pet food, and dog rolls that meet avian influenza heat treatment requirements, worth more than $50 million.
“It’s important to note that while there are common elements across markets, solutions are agreed with each country,” says Dr van Andel.
For further information and general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 008 333 or emailinfo@mpi.govt.nz
For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.
Recently, we visited a panel beater in Hamilton that was operating with some poor practices. Our inspector Thomas worked with the business owners to make some changes.
“They’ve made positive changes, including small, low-cost ones such as changing where they work to be more in the open air, how they store the paints and chemicals, and protecting power points and exposed power supplies from being potential sources of ignition,” said Thomas.
We’re grateful that the business owners were honest about what their knowledge gaps were and open to working with us to make their work safer.
We’re not always going to visit a business and demand major, high-cost changes. Often, you can improve the safety of a business with a few small, targeted changes. Part of what our inspectors do is offer their expertise to work with businesses to make improvements.
We know it can be daunting when we visit your business but at the end of the day, we all have the same goal – to make sure you make it home safely from work.
“They really want this business to be a success and as part of that they really want to look after their own health and safety. It’s a really great result.”
WorkSafe is urging businesses to prioritise safety near overhead electric lines, after three companies were sentenced within the last week for incidents that killed or injured workers.
In the most severe case a labourer, Sean Clear, was electrocuted while working on a farm near Whakapapa Village in February 2023. His mower had become bogged down, and a digger brought in to extract it contacted an overhead line carrying electricity at 33,000 volts. As Mr Clear was steadying the mower for extraction, the electricity passed through the digger’s arm and into the 25-year-old Irish national, causing his death.
WorkSafe’s investigation found the employer, Coogan Contracting, failed to carry out a risk assessment to identify the overhead power lines as a hazard and have a spotter in place to ensure the lines were not contacted.
Just three months later in May 2023 on Waiheke Island, Emmett Holmes-O’Connor was working on scaffolding that had been installed too close to power lines. Aluminium cladding he was carrying touched the high voltage 11kV line, inflicting an electric shock that caused him to fall backwards nearly four metres off the scaffold. The 31-year-old received major burns to his hand and foot, along with fractures to his spine and ribs.
There was no close approach consent for the work, which is required when work is being done near overhead powerlines, nor a proper risk assessment of the dangers. After an investigation, WorkSafe charged both the employer Joan Carpenters Limited, and the scaffolding company Church Bay Services Limited, for their health and safety failures.
“Both cases are an horrific reminder of just how dangerous it can be when businesses do not take enough care with working around power lines. Businesses must manage their risks and where they don’t, we will take action,” says WorkSafe’s area investigation manager, Danielle Henry.
“Anyone working in or around electricity, especially high voltage lines, needs to be aware of the specific mandated requirements for working near powerlines. The local lines company may require a close approach consent application, to ensure the work is conducted safely. Do not start work before you check for consent.”
Construction and agriculture are two of New Zealand’s most dangerous sectors, which is why they are a focus of WorkSafe’s new strategy. WorkSafe’s targeted frontline activities will be increasing in both sectors as there are opportunities to significantly improve health and safety performance, reduce acute and chronic harm, and address inequities.
Coogan Contracting was sentenced at Taumarunui District Court on 18 December 2024
Reparations of $100,000 were ordered. The fine was reduced to $25,000 due to financial capacity.
Coogan Contracting was charged under sections 36(1)(a), 48(1) and 2(c) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
Being a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), having a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers who work for the PCBU, including Sean Clear, while the workers were at work in the business or undertaking, namely assisting with the recovery of a tractor and mower, did fail to comply with that duty, and that failure exposed the workers to a risk of death or serious injury
The maximum penalty is a fine not exceeding $1.5 million.
Church Bay Services Limited (CBSL) and Joan Carpenters Limited (JCL) were sentenced at Auckland District Court on 12 December 2024.
JCL was fined $16,500 and CBSL was fined $13,500.
Reparations of $42,818 were split between both JCL and CBSL.
JCL was charged under sections 36(1)(a) and 48(1) and (2)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
Being a PCBU, having a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers who work for the PCBU, including Emmett Holmes- O’Connor, while the workers are at work in the business or undertaking, namely carrying out construction work (including cladding installation), did fail to comply with that duty, and that failure exposed the workers, including Emmett Holmes-O’Connor, to a risk of death or serious injury from electrocution or electric shock from the high voltage overhead power lines at 17 Coromandel Road.
CBSL was charged under sections 43(2)(b) and 48(1) and (2)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
Being a PCBU, having a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the way in which plant or a structure, namely a scaffold, is installed, constructed or commissioned ensures that the plant or structure is without risks to the health and safety of persons who use the plant or structure for a purpose for which it is installed, constructed or commissioned, did fail to comply with that duty, and that failure exposed persons, including Emmett Holmes-O’Connor, to a risk of death or serious injury from electrocution or electric shock from the high voltage overhead power lines at 17 Coromandel Road.
The maximum penalty is a fine not exceeding $1.5 million.
Fishery officers will be inspecting catch bags and bins all weekend as the blue cod season opens throughout the Marlborough region.
The daily limit per person is 2, with a minimum size of 33cm.
Fisheries New Zealand district manager, Stuart Moore says expect to see a strong visual presence of fishery officers throughout the region.
“Blue cod is a popular fish to catch by locals and visitors. We’ll be at the boat ramps and on the water, checking people’s catch. Following the rules will help keep blue cod sustainable into the future so that everyone can have the chance to put fresh kaimoana on the dinner table. Our advice is to fish for a feed because you don’t want to catch a fine.
When catching blue cod, it’s important to remember that along with the daily limit, they must be landed whole or gutted, unless the fish is eaten immediately aboard a boat. You cannot fillet blue cod and then claim it was the legal size.
Mr Moore says people planning to take blue cod need to understand another important rule.
“If you’re in the area and perhaps staying at a Bach – the most you can have in possession is 2 daily limits and if you intend to take any of that fish home with you – the same landed whole or gutted rule applies and there are no exceptions,” says Stuart Moore.
Download the free NZ Fishing Rule mobile app for all the rules in your area. Once downloaded, it’ll work anywhere, including in areas where you cannot get mobile coverage.
