![]() ![]() ![]() There was no safety chain in place when he began his shift and he entered the affected area at 7:30am. On his feet that day were steel-capped "safety shoes" brought from home that Rangitaawa said looked like sneakers. He had only been working at the site for 10 weeks when the incident occurred. The supervisor also told the team to keep away from it because, according to the summary of facts, "he was not 100 percent sure it was safe".īut when the morning staff started their shift, a "communication breakdown" meant Rangitaawa, who worked as a labour-hire on placement from a recruitment agency, was unaware of the potential risk. The system was fixed and a safety chain was put in place to block off the area which was hosed down to dilute the liquid. ![]() In the early hours of 16 December, 2021, a night shift supervisor noticed a container that fed caustic soda, a cleaning agent, into a vat was empty and a step nearby was wet.Ī hose that helped the flow of the toxic material was split, causing fluid to leak onto the ground. "This will be with me for the rest of my life."īut Rangitaawa, who said he had asked for a pair of gumboots but was told no because he was only a "temp", said his injuries "could have been much worse". it took more of a toll on me than I thought," he said. "I had no idea what was involved in getting better. Speaking to the Weekend Herald following the sentencing, the 62-year-old Wellington man said the money was not a patch on what he and his whānau endured in the aftermath of the workplace incident. In failing to issue its employees correct personal protective equipment (PPE) and appropriate training and information when working around caustic soda, Alto Packaging breached the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.Īfter its investigation, WorkSafe charged the company with breaching three sections of the Act by exposing workers to a risk of serious injury or death.Īlto Packaging pleaded guilty and Judge Arthur Tompkins convicted and fined the company $242,000 and ordered it to pay Rangitaawa an additional $50,000 in emotional harm reparation. I don't want this to happen to anyone else." "What I thought was going to be my future, has changed," Rangitaawa told Hutt Valley District Court this week through a victim impact statement read by his wife, Daphne. Now, almost 18 months on, he has lost the tips of two of his toes and his recovery continues. Unbeknown to him the substance, also known as sodium hydroxide and commonly used as a heavy-duty cleaner, had leaked onto the floor of the Lower Hutt workplace. Rangitaawa was working at Alto Packaging Limited, a rigid plastic manufacturing company with a history of breaching workplace safety standards, at the time of the December 2021 incident. The liquid he thought was water was actually caustic soda and within hours black blisters covered his feet as the corrosive liquid began to eat away at layers of skin and flesh. When Colin Rangitaawa went to work and stepped in a puddle, he could not have foreseen the serious consequences one simple action would have. Watch the video above to see “Live In The D” host Tati Amare and guest host Jon Jordan taste test the soda alternatives.Ĭopyright 2023 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.Alto Packaging was fined in Hutt Valley District Court. She still said not to have several of these drinks a day, but instead, to have them as an occasional treat. Poppi, Zevia, and Swoon are the alternative soda brands Trierweiler suggested. Instead, she suggests options that use stevia and monk fruit as sweeteners. She suggests avoiding sucralose, aspartame, and erythritol. Trierweiler stressed the importance of reading product labels to see what’s being used to sweeten the soda. ![]() She said a typical 12 ounce can of soda could have 39 grams of sugar up to 46 grams, which is already above the suggested daily limit of 35 grams of sugar per day for men and 25 grams of sugar per day for women. First, Trierweiler explained the concerns over the amount in soda. Health and nutrition expert Jody Trierweiler appeared on “Live In The D” to share some soda alternatives. However, there are some healthier options that could do the trick. The caffeine kick or the refreshing fizziness of soda can really hit the spot, but it’s also no secret that pop is not the best choice when it comes to your health. ![]()
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