An Auckland company has been fined $300,000 after an explosion left a forklift driver in hospital with burns.
The incident occurred at a Tank Test facility in Papatoetoe in March 2024, when a forklift caught fire, igniting Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) released from condemned cylinders.
Several 9kg gas bottles exploded, subsequently fueling a "significant fire".
The driver was taken to the hospital with burns and spent nine weeks off work.
Speaking at sentencing at Manukau District Court, Judge Gus Andrée Wiltens said the hazard was "clear and obvious".
He said the company could have eliminated the risk "at no cost" by ensuring the forklift and degassing operations never happened at the same time.
WorkSafe principal inspector David Worsfold, said: “This case isn't just about flammable gases. It's about a pattern we see across industries.
“Businesses may identify risks but can fail to follow through with proper controls. They have procedures, but don't ensure they're working in practice.”
WorkSafe said that while Tank Test had procedures, "procedures that aren't monitored and enforced are just paper".
It said the company could have prevented the explosion by changing when certain tasks happened.
"No complex engineering. No massive investment. Just better planning and discipline."
Tank Test had identified the hazard but "didn't act decisively enough".
"The Court heard that after WorkSafe intervened, the company bought a flame-proof forklift. That same decision, made earlier, would have prevented the explosion," the regulator said.
Tank Test had obtained a Location Compliance Certificate less than two months before the incident, but WorkSafe said, "Compliance with standards doesn't replace day-to-day management of safety".
Tank Test Laboratories 2017 Limited was sentenced in a reserved decision at the Manukau District Court.
The company was fined $300,000 and ordered to pay reparations of $5000.
Worsfold said the case highlighted lessons for companies.
“Whether you're working with flammable gases, operating machinery, managing heights, or dealing with any workplace hazard, the principle is the same: identify the risk, implement controls that actually work, and make sure people follow them.”
“This worker ended up in hospital because his employer didn't take simple steps to eliminate an obvious risk. Every business leader should ask themselves: where are we making the same mistake?”
He said the case highlighted a "critical gap" WorkSafe saw repeatedly: "The space between knowing what should be done and actually doing it."
"The question every business needs to answer is 'are our safety procedures actually keeping our workers safe?' If you can't honestly say yes, it's time to close that gap."
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