An Auckland business has been sentenced after a pastor’s “preventable” roller door death two years ago.
Helen Verry died in January 2022 at Church Unlimited in Glendene. She was killed when a roller door fell from its fixings.
“The 44-year-old had been trying to close the door by pulling the hand chain as the motor was not working at the time,” WorkSafe said in a statement this morning, calling her death “a tragic consequence of poor workmanship”.
The watchdog found the 273kg door’s installation was “substandard”. An investigation found it was “fixed through a piece of plywood and gib board with coach screws that were too short to properly hold up the weight”.
The installer, Scotty Doors Limited, was charged under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 — the legislation in place at the time of the March 2009 installation, WorkSafe said.
“A similar failure occurring today would be subject to much tougher penalties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.”
Scotty Doors was fined $41,250 at Waitakere District Court and reparations of $162,000 were ordered, WorkSafe said.
“More consideration should have been given to the type and length of screw being used, given the presence of the plywood.
“The length of the screws at one end of the roller door failed to comply with the Building Code, due to the thinness of the plywood.”
WorkSafe investigation manager Steve Kelly said the company should have seen that the door wasn’t installed safely.
“A registration form signed on behalf of Scotty Doors noted that the roller had been installed in the church lounge and that checks had been completed, including that the door was attached to a solid fixing,” he said.
“This case is a stark example of how serious the consequences of poor workmanship can be.
“If you contribute to unsafe work you will be held to account.
“Businesses have a responsibility to consider the health and safety of the people who will ultimately be reliant on their product when installing, building, or commissioning structures for use at work.”