Incident

On 27 January 2024, an RCF worker suffered amputations to four fingers after her hand was pulled into an
unguarded meat mincing machine.

Alleged contravention

Being a PCBU having a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers who
work for the PCBU while the workers are at work in the business or undertaking, namely operating the Mainca PC-
82/22 (PC822210229) meat mincing machine, did fail to comply with that duty, and that failure exposed the
workers to a risk of serious injury.

Summary highlights of the enforceable undertaking

• Financial amends to the injured person.
• Develop a culturally appropriate “Good Work” toolkit, supported by Knowby learning modules, to
  communicate health and safety information in Simplified Chinese, incorporating Chinese values.
• Distribute the Good Work Toolkit within the Chinese business community and provide facilitation and
  support to encourage uptake.
• Publish a “Lessons Learned” case study in Safeguard Magazine to share insights and promote industry-wide
  learning.
• Provide a donation to the New Zealand Qionghai Association to support community engagement and
  wellbeing initiatives.

Reasons for accepting the undertaking

The enforceable undertaking meets the requirements of WorkSafe’s Enforceable undertakings operational policy,
considering:

• The activities in the enforceable undertaking and how they promote progressively higher standards of work
  health and safety.
• The nature of the alleged contravention and how serious it was.
• Information received from any interested party in relation to the contravention.
• Mitigation and remedial action, already taken or planned, regarding both the contravention and any person
  affected by the contravention (including victims).
• The business's past performance and compliance history with health and safety legislation.
• Any likely outcome if the matter were dealt with by legal proceedings.
  • A charge was filed in relation to this incident on the basis that there was both evidential sufficiency
    and a public interest in initiating prosecution.
  • The undertaking accounts for the benefits that accrue to RCF by a prosecution not proceeding.
• Any other matter which WorkSafe thinks is relevant.
  • The undertaking delivers benefits beyond compliance.
  • The undertaking supports WorkSafe’s strategic objectives.
  • The undertaking contains acceptable terms.

Date accepted

11 December 2025

Further information

View the RCF Trading Limited enforceable undertaking: