A person has died after falling from a height at the Ports of Auckland on Tuesday morning, prompting calls for a wider inquiry into safety issues.
It marks the fourth death at the port since 2017.
In a statement, the Maritime Union of New Zealand earlier said it was understood the man fell while working on the Singaporean flagged container ship Capitaine Tasman.
Stevedoring company Wallace Investments confirmed to 1News earlier on Tuesday that the deceased person was one of their staff members.
They said: "It is too early to know what happened, but we can confirm it was a fall from height." The company said it would be "undertaking its own investigation into the incident and will fully cooperate with Maritime NZ and their investigation."
Police, FENZ and St John were at the port on the morning on April 19. (Source: 1News)
The Maritime Union's National Secretary, Craig Harrison, on Tuesday called for a national inquiry into port safety following the deaths and other instances of people being injured.
"I think we need a robust inquiry into the stevedoring or port industry as a whole," he said.
Tuesday's death comes after Pala’amo (Amo) Kalati was killed on August 30 2020 after being crushed when a container was dropped during a lifting operation at Ports of Auckland. In August 2021, RNZ reported Ports of Auckland is facing charges over the death.
His brother-in-law, Gareth Fraser, told 1News on Tuesday the latest death needed to be looked into.
"To tell you the truth, I was absolutely devastated to hear that yet another death has happened at the ports this morning," Fraser said.
"A lot of feelings overcame me from extreme anger but then frustration, and then really really sad for the person and the families involved as well.
"I seriously think that they need to look into this and they need to make some drastic changes."
Kalati‘s death came less than two weeks after the ports admitted a health and safety charge at the Auckland District Court, following the death of Laboom Dyer, a 23-year-old straddle crane driver, in 2018. Dyer died on the job in the early hours of August 27, 2018, after his crane tipped over.
In April 2017, Auckland man Leslie Gelberger was fatally struck by a speeding Ports of Auckland pilot boat while he was swimming off a North Shore beach.
WorkSafe NZ has been notified of Tuesday's death.
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