SafeWork New South Wales says it will be specifically looking at the way businesses load, unload and work around vehicles
SafeWork New South Wales says inspectors will visit the Wagga Wagga region next week from Tuesday August 2 to Thursday August 4 to ensure businesses are managing risks associated with loading, unloading, and working around vehicles.
Minister for Fair Trading Eleni Petinos says performing tasks around vehicles including loading, unloading, and securing a load is the leading cause of non-driving serious injuries and fatalities in road transport and logistics.
Petinos says SafeWork had an outline of what the inspectors will be looking at when visiting the worksites.
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“Inspectors will be specifically looking at traffic management plans, separation of workers and plant such as truck and forklifts and the immobilisation of vehicles, as well as focusing on forklift issues including licencing, attachments, maintenance, and safe use,” Petinos says.
“Many businesses are struggling with staff shortages and having to stretch their resources, so the temptation to cut corners can sometimes have tragic consequences.”
Petinos says businesses should think about safety before they operate a forklift at a worksite and stressed that the WorkSafe visits are all about ensuring that workplaces manage risks appropriately.
For more information and to access the vehicle work safety guide, visit the SafeWork NSW website.