Ep2 - Waiheke Hydraulic/Gib Board
Summer 2004, and Lindsay Rankin's earthmoving company was making good progress at leveling an area of land in a beautiful corner of Waiheke Island. Lindsay wasn't too worried when one of his trucks suddenly developed a problem and the hydraulic tray jammed in the upright position with a full load of earth.
Lindsay knew his way around trucks, and reckoned he could fix the valve that had jammed, by himself. But as he reached under the raised bed and started to try and free the blockage, the pressure suddenly released and there was nothing to hold the trucktray in the air. Without warning, 10 tonnes of earth came crashing down on Lindsay's arms.
Lindsay was pinned to the truck, his arms squashed into a tiny 15mm gap that had saved them from being instantly severed. As he stood there in shock, he realized that the hydraulics to raise the tray still wouldn't work.
With amazing presence of mind, he shouted instructions to a young employee to get the bulldozer. On his second attempt, the employee eventually managed to raise the tray with the bulldozer just enough for Lindsay to slip out his flattened arms and collapse on the ground.
We pick up the story just as Lindsay has been airlifted to hospital, and Inspector Russ Newton of the Department of Labour arrives on site to begin his investigation into exactly what happened. He must ask how the accident could have been prevented, but he must also take a hard look at where the responsibility lies.
With access to eyewitness accounts, and Lindsay's own testimony from his hospital bed, Special Investigators is there for each stage of Russ's investigation as he patiently uncovers what led up to the accident. He must ask whether the truck was overloaded, and whether safety was taken seriously on the site? Was Lindsay just extremely unlucky, or has he acted recklessly?
Inspector Russ Newton comes from a family background of construction, and he understands only too well the pressures on an independent contractor like Lindsay. But he must still consider whether Lindsay's failure to put safety props in place before working under the trucktray is a serious enough breach of the legislation to warrant action by the Department.
As Lindsay lies in hospital, not knowing whether he will ever use his arms again, he must also face the possibility that his business could be on the line and he may end up in court.
Later Russ must face one of the most difficult cases of his career, the death of a 7-year-old boy at a West Auckland building site, crushed under a stack of plaster board.
Russ must find out how the accident happened and most importantly whether anything could have been done to prevent this tragedy occurring. Should someone be held accountable?
