Silver Fern Farms and Ecostore invest $490k in safety

Two New Zealand manufacturing companies, Silver Fern Farms and Ecostore, have completed enforceable undertakings with WorkSafe New Zealand following incidents involving hazardous substance exposure.

Silver Fern Farms invested over $170,000 into safety improvements at its Hokitika plant after a 2022 incident where two workers were hospitalized due to inhaling a cleaning chemical. The improvements include safer chemical dispensing systems, enhanced training, improved first-aid arrangements, and better personal protective equipment (PPE). The company also paid reparations to the victims.

Ecostore committed more than $323,000 toward health and safety upgrades following a 2023 incident that resulted in permanent eye injuries to a worker. The company addressed shortcomings in chemical safety management, PPE controls, and emergency management.

Under these legally binding enforceable undertakings, businesses accept responsibility for safety failures and commit to industry-wide knowledge sharing to prevent similar occurrences.