TWO companies fined thousands of dollars after a fatal coolstore fire in New Zealand, have had appeals against their sentences dismissed.
Mobile Refrigeration Specialists (MRS) and Waikato Coldstorage (formerly Icepak Coolstores) appealed their sentences, but the High Court at Hamilton dismissed their appeal on March 29.

The two firms were found guilty of safety breaches in 2009 after an explosion at a Waikato Coldstorage coolstore in Tamahere in 2008.

Waikato Coldstorage was fined $37,200 in Hamilton district court and ordered to pay reparation of $95,000 to the family of firefighter Derek Lovell who was killed in the fire and to seven injured firefighters.

MRS, which was contracted to provide refrigeration services at the Tamahere site, was fined $56,000 and ordered to pay reparation of $175,000.

Wayne Grattan, who headed Icepak, was fined $30,000 in Hamilton district court on a health and safety in employment charge.

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