The government is coming under intense scrutiny for excluding quarries from health and safety protection laws after the death of a Tauranga man at Oropi Quarry.

Last Thursday, 24-year-old Tane Hill-Ormsby died after being trapped under the 45-tonne rock carter he was driving at Oropi Quarries when it tipped over at about 12.15pm.

The incident happened at Oropi Quarry. Photo: File.

Police released his name this afternoon who, along with WorkSafe New Zealand, are investigating the incident.

It follows the death of 43-year-old Scott Baldwin, who was killed on March 19 following an industrial incident at Gordons Valley Lime Company in South Timaru.

Council of Trade Unions general counsel spokesman Jeff Sissons says unions are dismayed by these tragedies, and the Government needs to act under urgency to introduce specific health and safety regulations for quarries.

'Our hearts go out to the families and co-workers of Scott Baldwin, who was killed on March 19 in South Timaru, and the worker who died in Tauranga,” says Jeff.

He says these deaths occurred despite health and safety laws being strengthened in 2013 in response to the recommendations of the Royal Commission into the tragedy at Pike River Mine.

But after lobbying from industry and assurances that quarries were safer than mines, the government excluded quarries from the protections of the new law.

And that is something that does not sit well with the unions, who accuse the government of bowing to industry pressure and letting the workers down.

'One of the most important exclusions was industry health and safety representatives,” adds Jeff. 'These representatives go from workplace to workplace checking on systems and providing advice on best practice.

'Perhaps an industry health and safety representative might have provided advice that saved these workers' lives.”

Jeff says there is a chance to 'fix this” through the Health and Safety Reform Bill currently before the parliamentary select committee, where it could be amended to include quarries in the full range of mining protections.

'Specific regulations for quarries should be urgently made,” he explains. 'These would be big steps towards stopping further deaths or injuries.”

Oropi Quarries website says it specialises in areas including roading, car parks and tanker tracks.

It also supplies metal for use on sites such as farm races and driveways and is known for pothole repair skills.