07:50 am, Friday 17 September, 2010

An irrigation product supplier has been fined after a worker was struck by a forklift in its warehouse in 2008.

At the Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court, the Braeside-based company pleaded guilty on August 27 to failing to separate forklift and pedestrian areas and failing to provide safety training to workers.

Magistrate Franz Holzer ordered the company to pay fines of $45,000 and costs of $4000.

The court was told a 20-year-old man was working at the company warehouse on 19 November 2008. He was checking his phone while walking along the unloading area when a forklift made a reverse U-turn and hit the young man’s leg.

He was taken to a medical centre to treat a torn ligament and a fractured foot.

WorkSafe prosecutor Susan McCarthy told the court that the company knew about the forklift and pedestrian risks, as shown by a safety report in July 2006.

The company’s lawyer said a detailed list of safety measures had already been implemented by the company.

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07:18 pm, Friday 10 September, 2010

The Wodonga Magistrate Court has fined a packaging company yesterday over an industrial accident involving a forklift n its Wodonga plant in 2008.

The firm pleaded guilty to failing to ensure a workplace exit was safe. It was fined $112,500 and has been put on a 12-month bond.

Magistrate John Murphy heard a woman was working at the Melrose Drive plant on December 8, 2008 when she was struck by a forklift.

She sustained serious injuries to her leg and had to undergo skin grafting and other extensive medical treatment.

The court was told the woman was wearing ear protection because of the noise of the site, while the forklift driver was going forward with a pallet of cans obstructing his view.

“It was probably a matter of good luck that this worker was not killed,” Prosecutor Trevor Wraight said.

The company’s lawyer said new traffic management plans have been put in place in its facilities, costing the firm $680,000.

Magistrate Murphy said the the plant had inadequate safety precautions when the incident took place, but added that it has acted responsibly and professionally ever since.

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02:37 pm, Monday 23 August, 2010

A worker is in critical condition after an alleged skylarking incident with a forklift at a plastic pipe manufacturing plant near Wagga Wagga on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old worker remains confined in a Sydney hospital after sustaining critical head injuries at the Bomen plant.

Early reports indicate the workers began playing around with a forklift by attaching a makeshift plastic sled to it.

The licensed operator of the forklift was allegedly towing his workmates on the sled when it became displaced after the forklift turned a corner.

One worker suffered head injuries after being thrown from the sled.

John Watson , General manager of WorkCover’s Occupational Health and Safety Division, said the incident was avoidable.

“If not used properly, forklifts put people at risk of serious injury or death because they can easily become out of control, tip over, turn too fast or lose loads,” Mr Wastson said.

He warned forklifts are not designed for carrying passengers.

“Forklifts are a complex piece of machinery that can be extremely dangerous when not used for their intended purpose,” he said.

WorkCover has started a comprehensive investigation into the incident.

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02:11 pm, Monday 23 August, 2010

A WorkCover investigation is continuing into a Toormina factory fatality last week.

According to WorkCover, a 60-year-old man fell from a platform that had been placed on a forklift at a factory south of Coffs Harbour.

The man suffered critical head injuries and later died in hospital because of the four-metre fall.

John Watson of WorkCover said falls from heights can be prevented.

“This is a tragic reminder of the risks of working at heights and the need for workers and really anybody working around their home to ensure that they have correct equipment to prevent falls from height whilst they’re carrying out work,” Mr Watson said.

“The tragedy of workplace fatalities is that people leave home in the morning and they never return.

“The reality of that is not just an impact on the work mates who witnessed the event and who may well have worked alongside this person for many years, but also of course the family.”

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07:28 pm, Wednesday 11 August, 2010

WorkSafe has begun an inspection campaign aimed at high-risk-work licences for forklift operators in the manufacturing sector.

The inspection program is slated for the next six months in both regional and metropolitan areas. It will focusing on making sure forklift operators possess the necessary licences or certification.

WorkSafe Commissioner Nina Lyhne said they will be running an advertising campaign from July to September to remind workers of the need for a high-risk-work licence.

“Many workers who operate forklifts, cranes, hoists or pressure equipment, or carry out scaffolding, dogging or rigging work must now have a licence for high-risk work to ensure they have the skills and knowledge to do the job safely,” she said.

“The inspection campaign will focus on raising awareness of the need for high-risk-work licences and ensuring that employers have the information required to comply with the laws.”

For workers whose certification were issued 31 December 2001, they must convert the certification to a national high-risk-work licence.

All affected workers must have converted their certification by 30 June 2012.

During the campaign, WorkSafe inspectors will check whether forklift operators have complied with the legal requirement.

“High-risk-work licences have existed since 2007, so I would expect employers to be aware of the need for workers to have them by now.” Ms Lyhne said.

“They are national licences, and so come with the advantages of both national consistency and portability, but – most importantly – high-risk-work licences ensure that workers have the skills and knowledge to perform tasks safely and competently.”

“It is important to note that employers still have an overall responsibility to provide workers with appropriate information, instruction and training for each individual job.

“Proactive inspection programs such as this one primarily aim to raise awareness of hazards and provide employers with information, but inspectors will take enforcement action if necessary. We firmly believe that raising awareness with proactive campaigns is the best way in which to lessen the risk of work-related injury and illness.”

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11:46 am, Wednesday 9 June, 2010

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is urging employers to have safe work practices in place for forklift use and ensure its workers receive suitable safety training.

The reminder comes after a string of cases involving forklift related incidents.

The safety body said the prosecutions highlight the value of training and risk management in preventing injuries and deaths.

In the past few months, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has initiated cases ending in fines of up to $40,000 involved. Several more incidents are under investigation.

Every year over 1,600 workers compensation claims involve forklifts accidents. Most of the claims come from the transport sector. The rest is divided among the hundreds of industries across the state, from manufacturing to agriculture.

Here are some tips on forklift safety:

* Conduct a thorough inspection of the forklift truck and its attachments before starting each shift.
* Establish safety procedures for fuel handling and storage, and battery changing and charging.
* Establish a way for determining the weights of loads being handled and make work areas safe for the use of forklift trucks.
* Ensure licensing requirements for people operating forklifts are complied with.
* Provide appropriate supervision.
* Maintain the forklift regularly

Visit the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland for more information.

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08:28 am, Thursday 3 June, 2010

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is reminding businesses to make sure safework procedures are in place for forklift use.

The reminder was issued following the conclusion of a number of prosecutions involving forklift accidents. One of the companies prosecuted received a $40,000 fine.

Several other forklift-related incidents are under investigation by the safety body.

Queensland Industrial Relations Minister Cameron Dick said proper safety training is a must for forklift operators. He said risk management is another important factor in preventing deaths and injuries.

He said fitting the forklifts with the proper safety devices is not enough. Risk assessment and traffic management plans must also be prepared and implemented.

A recent prosecution involved a plumbing products company in Geebung, where a worker died. Two other incidents ended in serious crush injuries for workers.

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12:51 pm, Friday 21 May, 2010

Williamstown has recently received a visit from WorkSafe inspectors as part of Safe Towns, Safer Work Zones campaign.

Inspectors visited 167 small businesses in the area over a span of five days. With a total of 200 notices issued, some workplaces received multiple notices while others did not receive any.

WorkSafe will do follow up visits over the next six weeks to see if the businesses have made improvements in workplace health and safety.

Inspectors issued eight improvement notices on inadequate guarding of lathes, which can be dangerous for workers if their clothes get snagged into the equipment.

Other safety breaches discovered by inspectors include unsafe manual handling practices; forklift safety failings, incorrectly tagged or positioned electrical leads; unsafe racking; inadequately maintained air receivers; improper use, handling and storage of dangerous goods; and lack of suitable first aid facilities.

4859 claims for workplace injury or illness have been reported in the Hobson’s Bay area over the past five years. Acting Executive Director for Health and Safety Stan Krpan said this represents $82.52 million in treatment and rehabilitation costs.

“What these visits tell us is that Williamstown businesses need to go back to basics with health and safety, and take a closer look at their workplaces,” Mr Krpan said.

“These visits have brought to light a number of health and safety hazards which could cause serious injury to workers, but are easily remedied – such as repositioning electrical leads, fitting seatbelts on forklifts, and changing workplace layout to reduce the risk of manual handling injuries.

“Workers need to remember that if they speak up when they see safety issues, it will help make their workplace safer. It might even prevent someone from being needlessly injured.

“Our inspectors will be returning to these small businesses over the next few months, and we’ll be expecting to see some changes.”

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07:00 am, Wednesday 21 April, 2010

SafeWork SA has launched a series of information sessions in the Greater Adelaide Area on the new licensing requirements that will take effect in Southern Australia later this year.

The first information session was held on April 12 and will continue to run until May 3.

The licensing changes will affect high risk workers, including those who operate a forklift, crane, hoist, elevated work platform or pressure equipment and perform scaffolding, dogging or rigging work.

The new requirements are in line with the National Standard for Licensing Persons Performing High Risk Work 2006.

Its purpose is to improve safety in workplaces where high risk work is performed. The changes will also make the training, assessment and licensing of high risk work consistent across the country.

Most states have either partially or fully carried out the new national standard. Subject to Government approval, South Australia will start issuing new High Risk Work Licences later this year.

According to SafeWork SA Executive Director Michele Patterson, there is already a strong interest in the sessions currently scheduled.

She says it is an encouraging sign, since it shows that industries and workers are eager to understand the new system and benefit from its introduction.

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01:35 pm, Tuesday 23 March, 2010

A new nationwide safety campaign by the country’s workplace safety authorities will focus on forklift safety in Australia’s grocery, fruit and vegetable wholesale industry.

Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities (HWSA), the joint group of General Managers or representatives of bodies responsible for the regulation and administration of occupational health and safety in Australia and New Zealand, is spearheading the campaign.

The new project’s goal is to reduce the rates of incidents and injury from forklift-related tasks, including truck loading and unloading.

Inadequate safety procedure and practice regarding forklift operation can pose risks in worksites, and may lead to severe work-related injury or fatality to operators, those working around forklifts, and others in the workplaces concerned.

Official nationwide statistics provide that between 2000 to 2007, more than 7,400 work-related injuries involving forklift trucks were reported.

The national campaign will specifically look at the safety of forklift truck operations.

In particular, the campaign aims to stress the need for identifying hazards in workplaces systematically and carrying out sustainable control measures to minimise incidents of harm.

The campaign will kick off with a series of industry forums to explain the campaign and highlight the relevant issues.

A compliance campaign at targeted sites beginning April 2010 will then follow.

The outcomes and feedback from the workplace audits will then be collated and analysed.

The result of the campaign is planned to be released by the end of 2010.

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