AI-driven hazard detection is coming to timber manufacturing, as part of a WorkSafe agreement with a timber plant where an employee lost two fingers.
AI-driven hazard detection is coming to timber manufacturing, thanks to an agreement worth nearly half a million dollars between WorkSafe New Zealand and a major player in the wood processing industry.
After a worker had two fingers amputated in a machine at Claymark’s Rotorua factory in February 2023, the largest manufacturer and exporter of premium pine products in New Zealand is putting $481,000 into a range of initiatives.
A WorkSafe investigation found the machine being operated was unguarded and there was an ineffective system for maintenance. Training and supervision of workers also fell short.
WorkSafe has now accepted an enforceable undertaking (EU) from Claymark. An EU is a binding commitment to fund and resource comprehensive health and safety improvements. Claymark’s EU includes:
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CCTV systems incorporating AI technology to indicate risks to workers’ health and safety in real time
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Offering up to 15 trials of the technology to other businesses in the wood manufacturing sector
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Microlearning and interactive displays in break rooms to upskill workers on health and safety
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Reparation to the victim
Details of the investment were released to coincide with World Day for Health and Safety at Work, which this year focused on the impacts of digitalisation and artificial intelligence on workers' health and safety.
“We are looking forward to seeing Claymark pioneer its AI innovation to benefit the timber processing sector more broadly. Agreements like this are all about enacting positive improvements from an adverse event,” says WorkSafe’s Head of Regulatory Services, Tracey Conlon.
EUs are a way for WorkSafe to hold businesses accountable for health and safety breaches. WorkSafe monitors progress on the agreed commitments and can seek a court order enforcing them if they are not upheld. WorkSafe’s role is to influence businesses to meet their responsibilities and keep people healthy and safe.
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