‘I cried every night not knowing if he'd be permanently blind’: mother of Ecostore employee injured in chemical incident
Thursday, 16 January 2025
The mother of an Auckland Ecostore employee who suffered damage to his eyesight after being exposed to hazardous chemicals during a workplace incident has spoken out for the first time.
The incident occurred on March 7, 2023, at the company’s factory in Pakuranga, while the worker was producing dishwash powder. A pressurised hose malfunctioned, releasing chemicals that caused the worker’s injury.
Debra, the mother of the employee who wanted to remain anonymous, said it was a “very scary time”.
Alongside eye sensitivity and nerve damage, the employee learned following an A&E visitthat he had 90% erosion to both of his cornea.
“My son felt extremely vulnerable in hospital and asked for me to stay on the ward. That request was rejected given he was over 16 years of age,” she said.
“To be honest, I'm glad it was not approved as I went home and cried every night not knowing if he'd be permanently blind and what that meant for his life. I was thinking the bench corners are too sharp and all kinds of things.”
“The eye flushes happened continuously and were very painful for my son.“
Debra said that a nurse on the ward had told her she had never done so many eye flushes in her entire career spanning 26 years plus.
Following an investigation, WorkSafe accepted Ecostore's commitment to improving its health and safety practices.
The company paid over $20,000 in compensation and pledged to implement a “holistic cultural shift” in safety protocols.
According to the WorkSafe report on the incident, the worker had just finished blending dry ingredients and was adding liquid components using a pressurised spraying system.
WorkSafe found that the injured worker and others had not been provided adequate training on chemical safety, emergency procedures for spills, or handling pressurised substances.
It also noted gaps in training around PPE use, insufficient access to appropriate protective equipment, and inadequate first aid measures following the incident.
Debra said PPE was not only ineffective but often unavailable, a fact supported by WorkSafe, who noted gaps in training around PPE use, insufficient access to appropriate protective equipment, and inadequate first aid measures following the incident.
She also said it was important senior management be available and competent in attending medical emergencies on the floor.
Debra said while there was a long road of recovery to go, her son could see, and had not been blinded.
“What I'm most proud of today is this family’s continued growth and development despite such huge obstacles, not just in this situation,” she said.
“With adversity comes resilience , and we have certainly mastered that. The fact we have not only endured but grown despite it…that's this family’s testimony.”
An EcoStore spokesperson re-emphasised safety is important to the company.
The company acknowledged there were gaps in their PPE procedures and active monitoring of this, and were committed to continuous improvement.
An earlier version of this story gave the mother’s full name. It was updated to her first name only to protect the identity of her son. (Amended 4.30pm, January 16, 2025)