The tortilla oven that crushed and burned a worker’s hand and arm in November 2016 had multiple sources of risk.

Miller Foods Limited, trading as Remarkable Tortillas, was sentenced in the Queenstown District Court today following an incident that left a worker’s arm trapped in an oven that was aflame.

The worker was cooking tortillas in a commercial tortilla press and oven when his glove became caught and his right hand and arm were drawn into the oven. Other workers freed the man’s arm, but were not immediately aware of what to do in an emergency.

WorkSafe’s investigation found that Remarkable Tortillas had inadequate health and safety systems, failed to ensure a risk assessment of the machinery was carried out, failed to provide suitable guarding, and failed to ensure that workers were adequately trained and were aware of an appropriate emergency system.

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