New Zealand companies fined following death of forestry worker

Two companies have been ordered to collectively pay fines and reparations amounting to $335,680 following the death of a 39-year-old forestry subcontractor who died while manually cutting down trees southeast of Auckland in June 2022.

WorkSafe indicated that the trees the man was cutting manually had been windthrown, indicating they were bent and harmed by the wind.

An investigation conducted by WorkSafe revealed the logging company failed to adequately reassess its harvesting plan following the removal of nearby trees by machinery and did not ensure safe felling practices were adhered to.

“Businesses must manage their risks and cannot contract their way out of responsibility. Contractors on smaller sites like this are owed the same level of care as those in large-scale operations,” says WorkSafe’s area investigation manager, Paul West.

The two companies received their sentences from the Manukau District Court on 4 March 2025.

Further details can be found here.