A council located within the Waikato region has been ordered, by Hamilton District Court, to pay reparations of $5,180 to each of the zookeepers children. The zookeeper was killed by a tiger while working at the zoo last year.
The council was further ordered to pay fines of $38,250 after pleading guilty to one charge under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the workers safety.
A WorkSafe investigation into the workers death on September 20 2015 revealed that the council, as the owner and operator of the zoo, failed to take a number of practicable steps to ensure the safety of the worker. This included a lack of mechanical and safety features to prevent two gates between the cat chute and the main enclosure being open at the same time, not having a two keeper system in place, or warning signs to indicate that a tiger had not been secured.
“As an employer, the council had a duty to implement safety systems, administrative and mechanical, to ensure that staff never came into direct contact with the tigers, including in the event that a gate was accidentally left open,” said SafeWork NZ Chief Inspector, Keith Stewart.
Mr Stewart added, “Working with large carnivores like Sumatran tigers will always come with the highest possible risk – there are no second chances if you come into direct contact with a dangerous animal”.
Failure to ensure the safety of workers can seriously damage a business’ bottom line. This conviction reinforces the importance of managing the risks through the development of clear procedures and the provision of training and supervision. Don’t risk non-compliance, contact ISOsafe today to find out how we can assist you in providing a safe and legally compliant workplace.