WorkSafe says a death at the factory property of a Hawke’s Bay juice company was due to “a fall from a height”. 

Police were called to the fatality at The Homegrown Juice Company on Williams St in Mahora, Hastings, about 8.40am on Friday. 

The death has been referred to the coroner. 

WorkSafe New Zealand said it had been notified and is investigating “a fall from height at The Homegrown Juice Company”. 

“Manufacturing is a priority sector for WorkSafe and has the largest total number of injuries of any sector. 

“Workers falling from height are one of the top causes of harm in the sector,” it said in a statement. 

The Homegrown Juice Company said the death was a “tragic incident” the company is “fully co-operating with” WorkSafe’s investigation. 

“Due to this current investigation, we cannot comment on the events. 

“Our commitment at this time is to fully support the family and employees through this incredibly difficult time. 

“The company will release a formal statement once all investigations have been completed.” 

The death is the third workplace fatality in Hawke’s Bay for 2025, according to WorkSafe’s fatalities summary table. 

It is also the second death at the Mahora facility in the past eight years. 

In June 2017, 23-year-old Manpreet Kaur of Hastings died while cleaning a bottle-filling machine when her arm was drawn into the rotating equipment. 

It continued to rotate, and she died at the scene. 

A WorkSafe investigation found that the machine was not interlocked, which would have stopped it from starting while the guarding was open. 

The machine had been imported from China and had not been assessed by an engineer in NZ, was not certified and did not comply with NZ standards. 

The Homegrown Juice Co Ltd was sentenced and fined $367,500 in Hastings District Court in August 2019. 

Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and has worked in radio and media in the UK, Germany, and NZ.