16 Feb 2021

Bereaved mother not happy with WorkSafe pledge to hold unsafe businesses to account

From Morning Report, 6:47 am on 16 February 2021

The mother of two boys killed in a truck smash has poured cold water on the workplace safety regulator's pledge to hold unsafe businesses to account saying it is ill-equipped to do so.

Mohy Sharifi's two young sons died when a truck rear-ended their car on a fine day on a straight stretch of the Desert Road.

The agency Worksafe says in a ministerial briefing that it is committed to intervening in the transport sector, and holding unsafe businesses to account - and that it must look into supply chains to be effective.

The agency also says its regulatory job is too big for it.

Sharifi says Worksafe's admission vindicates her criticism of the 2019 investigation she went through.

The agency has repeatedly said that was a thorough investigation, and it won't comment further to RNZ on a case it says is closed.

However, an OIA response shows Worksafe's inquiries into supply chain factors were very limited.