WorkCover NSW investigates an incident where a 56-year-old man was struck by a moving forklift at a Gunnedah leather warehouse in January
February 1, 2011
WorkCover NSW is investigating an incident where a 56-year-old man was struck by a moving forklift at a Gunnedah leather warehouse in January.
Initial enquiries suggest the man sustained serious head injuries after being hit by a moving forklift as he walked across the warehouse floor.
A WorkCover inspector attended the site and issued a notice to the warehouse to review
its systems of work around the operation of forklifts near pedestrians.
WorkCover Occupational Health and Safety Division General Manager John Watson says the incident served as an unfortunate reminder to ensure that adequate safety precautions are taken when working with and around forklifts.
“Forklifts and other mobile plant that are being driven through walkways always have the potential to put workers and others at risk,”
Watson says.
“Effective traffic management procedures must be in place where forklifts are in operation including zones to separate pedestrians and forklifts during loading and unloading.
“Incidents involving forklifts are avoidable and constant attention must be paid when working with and around these machines.
“Extreme care must also be taken when pedestrians and other workers are around, including travelling at a safe speed and ensuring that the operator has a clear view of the direction that they are travelling at all times,” Watson says.
When working with or around forklifts:
- ensure adequate traffic management, including the safety of pedestrians and bystanders
- plan for the task and ensuring the right equipment is being used for the load
- forklifts must be correctly maintained and operated in accordance with the designer’s and manufacturer’s instruction
- forklift operators must be correctly certified and have the correct training for the particular forklift
“I urge all businesses across the state to review their work procedures and consult with their staff around the safe use of forklifts,” Watson says.
A comprehensive investigation into the cause of the incident is continuing.
FORKLIFT SAFETY SEMINAR
The Australian Industry Group (AIG) will hold a seminar in Melbourne on February 16 to address forklift safety issues.
According to Worksafe Victoria three people on average are seriously injured by forklifts every week in Victorian workplaces, a totally unacceptable situation.
Many of these injuries are due to a lack of separation between forklifts and workers.
WorkSafe Victoria has a zero tolerance approach to the unsafe use of forklifts – one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment found in Victorian workplaces.
Workplaces found to be using forklifts in an unsafe manner can expect WorkSafe to act swiftly and enforce compliance with workplace health and safety laws.
Industry has been warned to lift its game on traffic management.
A selection of recent Victorian prosecutions include:
• Cold storage giant fined $60,000.
• A company and its co-director were fined approximately $200,000 after being warned
about dangers associated with forklift operations.
• Large retailer has agreed to donate $90,000 to safety research and charity.
It will also have
its OHS systems audited by an independent party, after an unsupervised trainee forklift operator was nearly injured n a crash.
The seminar, Managing Forklift Safety & Traffic Management, will provide industry with solutions to deal with forklift and traffic management issues.
The Managing Forklift Safety & Traffic Management seminar will provide practical information on how an effective forklift and traffic management program can control and safeguard these hazards before they turn into injuries.
It will enable participants to ensure compliance with the legislative requirements and maintain profitability by protecting against the impact of costly lost time injuries.
Wednesday 16 February 2011
The Australian Industry Group
20 Queens Road
Melbourne VIC 3004
Registration: 8:00am – 8:30am
Seminar: 8:30am – 12:30pm