Swire Cold Storage has been fined $60,000 for an incident in which a worker was hit by a forklift.
WorkSafe Victoria renewed its call for workplaces to separate people and forklifts, following the March 2008 incident at Swire Cold Storage’s Clayton-based warehouse, when a forklift was driven into the path of a worker operating a pallet mover.
The worker was struck in the left leg by the slip sheet attachment on the forklift. The collision broke both bones in his lower left leg above the ankle, and resulted in an open wound.
The Moorabbin Magistrates Court convicted Swire Cold Storage on two charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004. The company was fined a total of $60,000.
According to WorkSafe Victoria, its safety inspector noticed that although there were marked walkways for pedestrians, they were not used.
Forklifts and other mobile plant were driven through the walkways, putting workers and other pedestrians at risk.
Following the incident, WorkSafe issued prohibition notices preventing the use of the plant involved in the incident until it was made safe. It also issued an improvement notice which required the workplace to put a system in place to separate mobile plant from pedestrians and other mobile plant.