WorkSafe Media Release: Nailgun Incident – the cost of poor safety
Do you use a nailgun at work, or home or know someone who uses a Nail gun – take 5 to read as it is is a timely reminder of the importance of understanding risk and using nail guns correctly.
WHY: A worker in September in 2019 was shot in the chest with a nail gun, the nail lodged into the worker’s heart and had to be surgically removed and was lucky to escape a fatal injury.
Incident Details: Sleepwell (NZ) Limited makes mattresses and bed bases at a plant in South Auckland. In September 2019 a worker went to free a coil hose that connected his nail gun to the air supply line when the gun recoiled, firing a nail into the chest of another worker who was walking behind him.
Worksafe Findings:
- “his ordeal could have been avoided if the company had adequately identified the risks of using nail guns and
implemented clearly marked exclusion zones– areas out of bounds to other workers,” “There was a real risk that
other workers could come into contact with an operator’s nail gun, and that is exactly what happened, so clear
exclusion zones should have been marked out around work-stations where nail guns were in use” - The nail guns weren’t regularly checked to ensure they were fit for purpose
- Workers were not being adequately trained”, she said.
- Sleepwell failing to comply with a duty to ensure the health and safety of workers, so far as reasonably
practicable and were fined $250,000 and also were ordered to pay reparation of $15,000 was ordered. (the
maximum penalty is of $1,500,000).
Don’t let this happen you take – take time to check that nail guns are being used safely, that they are in good condition and people operating them are trained to use them because they can kill!!
Stay safe, any questions please contact Solv Safety who is happy to answer questions, provide guidance.