Coroner Finds Employer Breached Safety Obligations in Fatal Electrocution Incident

Sean Clear, an Irish seasonal worker, was electrocuted in February 2023 when an excavator being used to free a tractor and mower unit came into contact with overhead powerlines carrying 30,000 volts on Taurewa Station in the central North Island. The coroner has now ruled that the employer, NP & MA Coogan Partnership, failed to meet its health and safety obligations, which contributed directly to the tragedy.

The coroner, Mark Wilton, highlighted in his findings that the company did not adequately brief workers on safety procedures and failed to take