Worker in 'hellish limbo' after hand crushed at Silver Fern Farms plant

The loss of his right hand in a meat processing plant brings recurring flashbacks and intense nerve pain for Brian Wilson.

Wilson, 50, had to have his dominant hand amputated after it suffered severe crush injuries at the Silver Fern Farms plant at Takapau, Hawke's Bay on February 22, 2021.

The company pleaded guilty to exposing an individual to a risk of harm and was sentenced in Hastings District Court on Friday, where it was fined $283,500.

Silver Fern Farms had created a $50,000 fund to help Wilson buy a house, was spending about $100,000 on a state-of-the-art prosthetic limb and was supporting him to get back to work.

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In a victim impact statement read to the court by a WorkSafe employee, Wilson said he had worked in the meat industry for 20 years prior to the injury, initially at Gisborne before spending two years at Takapau after returning to Hawke's Bay to care for his ill mother.

He described the anxiety, depression, fear, anger and shame he felt after the injury.

"I locked myself away and stayed at home in a sort of hellish limbo. I did not want to do anything. I did not want to even go outside. When I did go out I felt everyone was staring at me. I had panic attacks so returned home," he said.

"It is hard for me to sleep at night because of the pain and emotional suffering. I spend all night tossing and turning so I can get comfortable," Wilson said.

"One thing I really miss is cooking. That was my place of solace where I could forget about all my worries and just relax and enjoy the moment. I loved that. It was a refuge for me. Now, because it is so tiring and time-consuming, I hardly ever cook. It's also a sad time for me because I reflect on what I’ve lost," he said.

There were several reasons for Wilson's injury, which was crushed when he put his hand into a hydraulically powered meat separating extruder designed to separate meat from bone.

His injury occurred after the screws attaching a plastic protective guard to the machine had been removed while it was being maintained and tested. It was unknown when the screws were removed, and ordinarily the guard was attached, and the machine presented no danger.

WorkSafe prosecutor Emma Jeffs said the company should have had systems in place to ensure this sort of incident did not occur.

The loss of someone's hand in the machine in these circumstances was a foreseeable consequence, she said.

"The hazards were obvious," Jeffs said.

Silver Fern Farms lawyer Joseph Lill said the company had apologised and from the outset had been determined to ensure Wilson had whatever he needed.

Lill said the machine had been compliant when purchased, had not presented a risk in ordinary operation, and this was not a situation in which someone could have been killed.

He noted that the company's last conviction for health safety occurred 10 years ago, and said the company was "committed to working with Mr Wilson and to reduce risks and manage them for all of its workers".

Judge John McDonald noted that the company employed 6500 people across 14 plants around the country, and most of those people were in roles that involved an inherent danger.

The judge said Wilson's injury resulted from an unusual sequence of events and that the company was clearly very remorseful.

He acknowledged the devastating impact of Wilson's injury and fined the company $283,500 but did not make a reparation order due to the steps the company had already taken to assist Wilson.

Outside the court Wilson, a father of two, said he was pleased the court process was over.

"It's been quite a traumatic journey," he said.

He said he had had a prosthetic arm for about four months and "it's a work in progress".

He was grateful for Silver Fern Farms helping him back into work at its Hastings plant.