PaknSave case highlights dangers of carbon monoxide

The successful prosecution of the owners of New Plymouth’s PaknSave supermarket highlights the potential dangers of carbon monoxide to workers in poorly ventilated workplaces, says the Department of Labour.

PaknSave owner Melody Holdings (N.P.) Limited pleaded guilty in the New Plymouth District Court earlier this week to a charge of failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of four employees, under the Health and Safety in Employment Act. In a reserved decision released today they were fined $25,000, as well as being ordered to pay $4,000 in reparation ($1000 to each victim) by Judge Allan Roberts.

Judge Roberts writes in his decision that in sentencing Melody Holdings he could not avoid the fact that “there must be a need to sheet home to employers that every aspect of the workplace should be safe and the need to let this Defendant and others know that such infractions will draw significant penalty”.

On 22 October last year, four workers in the food preparation and cool store area of the PaknSave were rushed to Taranaki Base Hospital, where they were all treated for carbon monoxide poisoning. Three of the four had to be admitted to the intensive care unit.

The Department of Labour maintained that Melody Holdings failed to take all practicable steps to ensure that its employees were not exposed to hazards caused by the use of an LPG forklift in their place of work. Carbon monoxide exposure is a recognised hazard for employees who operate fuel powered forklifts in poorly ventilated areas, yet Melody Holdings had not identified carbon monoxide fumes as being a hazard in its cool store and preparation areas.

“In this case we think the workers really did have a lucky escape,” says the Department of Labour’s Taranaki Service Manager Brett Murray. “The readings of carbon monoxide taken from blood samples from the affected workers were very high.”

Blood tests taken at the hospital an hour-and-a-half after treatment started recorded carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) levels of between 21.7 and 33.2 percent. The maximum permissible COHb level is 3.5 percent. Levels of 40 percent and higher can cause unconsciousness and eventually death if exposure is continued.

“This case has some very strong lessons for workers and employers,” says Mr Murray. “Confined and poorly ventilated work areas can be very dangerous, because in the case of carbon monoxide it is a colourless and odourless gas that can build up with fatal consequences.

“Workers should be aware that symptoms like headaches, nausea and dizziness might be signs that they are suffering the effects of carbon monoxide and they should alert their managers. LPG forklifts are a very common workplace tool, but they should only be used in well ventilated areas. Where this is not possible, an electric forklift should be used,” says Mr Murray.

ENDS.

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