Forklifts have killed 56 people and injured thousands in the past two decades, according to a leading industrial safety expert.
Writing in materials handling industry safety magazine, Industry Uplift, WorkSafe Victoria inspector Roger Parry-Jones claims that the commercial cost of forklift incidents runs into tens of millions of dollars in insurance claims, fines from prosecutions and injury compensation payouts.
“In the five years from 2000 more than 500 forklift safety incidents were reported to WorkSafe Victoria — it is likely this represents less than 10 per cent of forklift incidents requiring notification under Victorian workplace safety laws,” Parry-Jones says.
“The real tragedy is that every one of those fatalities and often-permanent injuries was avoidable.”
He adds that occupational health and safety laws require employers to report ALL incidents that expose workers to the risk of injury even when no-one was hurt.
“These incidents include forklift tipovers, fuel cell fires, pallet racking collapse after impacts, dropped loads and crashes into roller doors or other mobile plant," explains Parry-Jones.
“Clearly, the proper level of incident reporting is not happening and employees are still at an unacceptable level of risk from forklifts operated unsafely or in unsatisfactory conditions and locations.”
Parry-Jones added that forklift drivers and all those involved in their operation have specific responsibilities under legislation to identify and eliminate workplace hazards.
“All these stakeholders must exercise responsibility and due diligence by referring to technical standards, guidance and legislation to fulfil their obligations,” Parry-Jones says.
“A safe workplace is definitely no accident.”
Roger Parry-Jones, WorkSafe Advisory ServiceTollfree 1800 136 089