Issue Date:  -  Friday, 18 June 2004

Transport industry hazards lead to high injury rates

The transport and storage industry in WA has a consistently higher rate of work-related injuries and diseases than the average.

Statistics show that the employees most in danger of sustaining a lost-time injury (an incident that results in at least one day or shift lost from work) are truck drivers, who account for 27 per cent of injuries.

Transport and storage is also one of the five industries on which the ThinkSafe campaign focuses because of serious concerns with high injury rates.

WorkSafe WA Commissioner Nina Lyhne said today that the transport and storage industry had a high rate of manual handling injuries, both from lifting and handling heavy items.

“Manual handling is one of WorkSafe’s priority areas, and one-third of all lost-time injuries in the transport and storage industry are the result of incorrect lifting and handling of goods,” Ms Lyhne said.

“Manual handling injuries can be anything from minor muscle strains to debilitating long-term injuries.

“A further 23 per cent of lost-time injuries are the result of falls in the workplace, another one of WorkSafe’s priority areas.

“Across all industries, an average of two Western Australians die each year as a result of workplace falls, and there are around 1350 incidents involving falls each year that result in injuries to workers.

“A very comprehensive revised code of practice on falls was released recently which provides information on the identification of common fall hazards at all workplaces and the use of fall-arrest equipment and systems, along with chapters on work practices specific to the transport industry.”

Another cause for concern in the transport and storage industry is the safe movement of vehicles at workplaces.

Activities often linked to injuries are reversing, loading, unloading and pedestrian movements, and all these activities need to be designed, planned and controlled in order to reduce the risk of incidents.

Fatigue is also of great concern in the transport and storage industry, with fatigue contributing to around 25 per cent of fatal truck crashes in WA each year.

Fatigue can lead to loss of concentration, drowsiness, slow reaction times and falling asleep at the wheel.

New standards for managing fatigue came into effect last year designed to help drivers have minimum periods of rest, better opportunities for sleep, and require drivers to undertake medical examinations to ensure they are fit to drive.

“I strongly encourage employers in the transport and storage industry to take a good look at their workplaces, identify any possible risks to employees and take action to reduce these risks and improve safety in this industry,” Ms Lyhne said

Further information on safety in the transport and storage industry can be obtained by telephoning WorkSafe on 9327 8777 or on the website at www.safetyline.wa.gov.au.