Issue Date:  -  Friday, 23 July 2004

Warning issued on safe use of forklifts

A court case last week has prompted WorkSafe to issue a reminder to workplaces on the safe use of forklifts.

Lomwest – trading as Dewsons Mandurah – was found guilty in the Mandurah Court of Petty Sessions on two charges of allowing a person to operate a forklift without proof of competency.  The company was fined $2500 on each charge.

The charges resulted from an incident in November 2002 where a 17-year-old employee parked a forklift he had been operating without applying the handbrake, and the machine kept moving and ran over his foot.

WorkSafe inspectors subsequently discovered that he had not undertaken any formal training or instruction in the use of a forklift.

WorkSafe Director of Policy and Education Gail McGowan said today that WA’s safety and health laws required that forklift operators be formally trained.

“Employees need to be at least 17 years of age to operate a forklift, and they must have undergone approved training or be under the supervision of someone who has undergone approved training,” Ms McGowan said.

Over the past 15 years, 11 people have died in WA workplaces as a result of incidents involving forklifts.

Forklifts are also involved in around 167 lost time injuries in WA each year, with around a quarter of these resulting from someone being hit by a forklift.

Some of the more common forklift injuries include running over workers’ feet, getting hands caught in moving forklift parts and slipping while getting on or off a forklift.

Failure to wear a seatbelt while operating a forklift is not only a breach of the legislation, it also greatly increases the likelihood of serious injury in the event of a collision or the forklift overturning.

Forklifts are one of WorkSafe’s priority areas – these are areas that have a higher than average number of injuries or fatalities, and extra resources are assigned to these areas.

“We have several prosecutions pending that involve breaches of the laws on forklifts, so it seems that the message may not be getting through that they are hazardous machines,” Ms McGowan said.

“Employers have a duty of care to ensure a safe workplace, and employees need to remember they cannot operate a forklift without the appropriate training, whether they are directed to or not.

“Forklifts have been involved in far too many incidents resulting in injuries and fatalities over the years, and we will come down very heavily on any breaches of the legislation.”

Further information on forklifts and the publication “Working Safely with Forklifts” are available by telephoning WorkSafe on 9327 8777 or on the website at www.safetyline.wa.gov.au.