Photo: Ecostore Website
The mother of an Ecostore employee whose eyesight was permanently damaged by chemicals, has spoken of the "scary" aftermath of his injury.
On Monday, WorkSafe published details of the incident at Ecostore's Auckland factory in 2023.
The man had been working in a factory in the East Auckland suburb of Pakuranga when he suffered chemical burns to his eyes while making dishwasher powder in March 2023.
He was trying to shut off a pressurised hose that had come loose and was spraying hazardous liquid into the air.
The injury caused permanent damage, impacting his vision.
His mother, who didn't want to be named to protect her son's identity, says her family was thrown into turmoil.
She said she cried every night while her son was in hospital.
Ecostore told RNZ it takes what happened seriously and is spending more than $300,000 on improvements.
WorkSafe will monitor its progress.
The mother said she appreciates Ecostore acknowledges the need for better safety.
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