Issue Date:  -  Thursday, 10 July 1997

Vehicle hoists

Thousands of workers in the motor vehicle service industry are risking serious injury and even death when working with poorly-maintained vehicle hoists.

WorkSafe Western Australia’s Director of Inspection Services Neil Scott said today that there had been two serious vehicle hoist failures this week and it was pure luck that no-one had been killed.

"On Tuesday, two men were injured when a 1.75-tonne Toyota Hilux they were inspecting fell from a vehicle hoist," Mr Scott said.

"And yesterday, a car fell from a vehicle hoist when one of the posts collapsed.

"No-one was hurt in yesterday’s incident, but it could have resulted in serious or even fatal injuries if anyone had been directly under the falling vehicle.

"The two incidents this week may only be the tip of the iceberg because we are not always informed when things like this happen.

"A man was killed in a similar incident to these back in 1983.

"I would estimate that vehicle hoists probably fail at the rate of about one per month on average, and it is fortunate that there has only been one person killed.

"It is absolutely essential that vehicle hoists of any kind are examined regularly by reputable service personnel, and that they are also periodically stripped down and thoroughly assessed for any sign of problems," he said.

Thousands of these vehicle hoists are in use throughout WA in smash repair shops, service stations, service centres, auto electricians, transmission specialists and centres fitting shock absorbers, mufflers, tyres and so on.

All of the recent incidents reported to WorkSafe WA have occurred at large reputable outlets, all of which have reasonable safety records and are not suspected of taking short cuts with regard to machinery maintenance.

But failures are not easy to predict, and WorkSafe Western Australia is urging employers whose staff use vehicle hoists to pay special attention to maintenance practices.

"Some hoist failures cannot be identified through a visual inspection alone, and that is why we are advising a periodic strip-down and inspection of all parts of the hoist," Mr Scott said.

"Persons undertaking these inspections must have an awareness of possible failure points, and pay particular attention to these areas.

"The key is to ensure that all elements of the hoist that contribute to the support of the vehicle are inspected thoroughly at relevant intervals consistent with frequency of use, and that details of the inspection are recorded," he said.

Last month, WorkSafe Western Australia distributed a Significant Incident Summary to more than 1000 potential users of the Stenhoj 4-post Major 3 hoist, warning users of the potential consequences of not properly maintaining these machines.

Motorised vehicle hoists require design registration throughout Australia, and any alterations must be registered with a regulatory authority before being fitted.

The use of vehicle hoists is controlled under the Occupational Safety and Health Act and Regulations, and further enquiries should be directed to WorkSafe Western Australia on 9327 8777.

"The regular maintenance of vehicle hoists may result in the occasional day of down-time, but that is nothing compared to the week or so of down-time involved after the failure of a hoist," Mr Scott said.

"The failure of a hoist could just as easily result in a serious injury or even a fatality, and no-one ever wants to see that happen."