WorkSafe issues warning to businesses following incident where teen worker was hit by steel beam

WorkSafe Issues Warning to Businesses Following Incident Where Teen Worker Was Hit by Steel Beam

WorkSafe New Zealand reminds businesses to ensure the safety of repurposed old equipment following the sentencing of a company whose modified crane was involved in an incident that significantly impacted the life of a teenage worker. This case highlights the risk construction companies face when reusing modified machinery without proper certification.

In October 2022, the young man suffered a facial injury when an unsecured 412-kilogram steel beam, being operated by a mobile crane, struck him. The incident serves as a stark reminder for businesses managing hazardous equipment on active job sites.

What WorkSafe's Investigation Found

An investigation conducted by WorkSafe revealed the mobile crane lacked a valid inspection certificate, was not equipped with load safety devices, and had unclear markings on its control mechanisms. These findings point to serious gaps in equipment maintenance and hazardous machinery oversight within construction operations.

WorkSafe said the teenage employee lacked training in operations related to the crane and was distractedly focusing on both the load and the crane operator at the time of the incident. Inadequate training combined with unclear equipment markings created compounding risk factors that ultimately led to his injury.

“This young worker was traumatically let down through no fault of his own. Simply put, the crane should not have been operational,” says WorkSafe’s area investigation manager, Paul West.

Why This Warning Matters for Construction Businesses

This case underscores an important lesson: repurposing old equipment without proper certification introduces unacceptable risk into construction environments. Businesses handling steel beams, cranes, or other heavy machinery must verify inspection status before deployment.

For safety professionals across construction, manufacturing, and health sectors, this incident reinforces several key obligations:

• Ensure all modified or repurposed equipment holds a current, valid inspection certificate
• Fit load safety devices to mobile cranes and other hazardous lifting equipment
• Clearly label control mechanisms to prevent operator confusion
• Provide comprehensive training before assigning workers, particularly young workers, to crane-related tasks
• Maintain constant supervision when workers are unfamiliar with site-specific hazards

Similar warnings have followed other serious incidents involving heavy equipment. Read more about the NT WorkSafe warning following a worker's serious injury from a falling excavator bucket, and the tragic case where a Perth worker died after being hit by a steel beam. Businesses should also review the SafeWork SA warning following a fatal incident involving a grain bin for further context on equipment-related risk.

Practical Tools for Managing Equipment Risk

Construction businesses can reduce risk by implementing structured incident reporting and worker management resources. Our Incident Management checklists, forms, and registers help teams document equipment failures and near-misses consistently.

Additional resources, including the Incident Reporting Policy and First Aid Worker Register for NZ, support businesses in strengthening their compliance frameworks. Companies managing contractors should also consider our Worker Contractor Manuals and Worker Agreement Policy as foundational tools for onboarding and training.

WorkSafe's warning sends a clear message to construction, manufacturing, and health-related industries alike: cutting corners on equipment certification puts workers, especially young and inexperienced staff, at unacceptable risk. Read more WorkSafe news here.