Construction companies charged over men's deaths at sea

Two construction companies have been charged by Maritime New Zealand over the deaths of two workers whose boat capsized off Christchurch's Lyttelton Heads in October last year.

Heron Construction and McConnell Dowell Constructors each face four charges over the deaths of Jody Campbell and Tony Utteridge, who went missing on October 29 while returning to Lyttelton in stormy conditions, and a related incident on October 28, Maritime NZ spokeswoman Sophie Hazelhurst said.

The men were working on a sewage outfall pipe.

Each company was charged under the Maritime Transport Act with one count of operating a vessel without the appropriate current maritime document and one count of operating a vessel in a manner causing unnecessary danger or risk.

The maximum penalty for each charge is a conviction and a fine of up to $100,000.

The companies were also charged under the Health and Safety in Employment Act for failure to ensure the safety of employees while at work and failure to ensure the safety of an individual, contractor, or sub-contractor, with each charge carrying a maximum penalty of a conviction and a fine up to $250,000.

The companies are scheduled to reappear in court on August 6.

Heron Construction was fined $25,000 in Christchurch District Court in November last year after tug employee Charlie Durham lost a leg when a piece of wire attached to an anchor wrapped around his leg and tightened suddenly off New Brighton on December 8 last year.

Heron pleaded guilty to failing to take all practicable steps to ensure his safety.

- NZPA