Crawfords Freightlines penalised for safety shortcomings
A SafeWork NSW prosecution has highlighted the importance of transport operator safeguards around shipping containers.
Crawfords Freightlines was ordered to pay a $90,000 fine after pleading guilty to a Work Health and Safety Act breach for exposing a worker to serious risk of injury in a 2018 incident.
While another worker was using a forklift to load aluminium billets into a shipping container, a load on the tines shifted and fell onto Eddie Asiata, hitting him and pinning him against the shipping container wall.
The then-30-year-old suffered fractures to his femur and wrist.
Crawfords had, for many years, transported aluminium products in shipping containers destined for overseas customers.
However, the business accepted it did not address the specific risk of prohibiting workers from remaining inside a shipping container while they were placing cardboard between aluminium billets and while forklift trucks were being operated inside the container, which led to Asiata’s injury.
Centurion opens up on the tragedy that shook the company, here
The NSW District court also found company shortcomings in inducting/re-inducting and training/re-training workers in relation to the safe work procedure or method statement when they started work in the Alloy Department, and adequate supervision of workers while they were performing such tasks in the Alloy Department.
Immediately after the incident, Crawfords changed its system of work so that the packing of billets into shipping containers was to be performed by the forklift operator working alone.
That operator was to pack the cardboard, while the forklift was not in operation.
Toolbox talks were held to draw this new instruction to the attention of all workers.
A safety alert in respect of the incident was issued.
All employees were re-trained in relation to the amendments made to the Unloading and Package of Aluminium standard operating procedure.
The company was found to have taken positive steps to address future risk and, with the early guilty plea, its fine was reduced 25% from an initial $120,000.