Category: transport

Is forklift safety a fantasy of OHS professionals?

Recently a colleague brought a YouTube video on forklift safety to the attention of SafetyAtWorkBlog.  The video illustrates the risks associated with jumping from a tilting forklift.  By comparing this to a mouse trap, the Washington Department of Labor & Industry (DLI) is illustrating the importance of the safety cage on forklifts and the role of seatbelts.  The video is from around 2005 and remains fundamentally sound in its advice.

Seatbelts are a continuously contentious safety advice on forklifts, not because they do not work, but because very few forklift operators use them.  Yet the seatbelt restraint is integral to the driver’s safety in a tipping forklift as the video below illustrates.

Continue reading “Is forklift safety a fantasy of OHS professionals?”

The fatal consequences of riding in the tray of a pick-up or ute

In 2007, Pedro Balading fell off the back of a utility vehicle while working in remote outback Australia and died.  On 16 March 2010, the owner of the Wollogorang cattle station, Panoy P/L, was fined $A60,000 over the death.

According to one media report:

“Pedro Balading, a 35-year-old father of three, was a Manila piggeries supervisor who arrived at Wollogorang Station in early 2007 and found himself isolated, underpaid and performing menial jobs. He asked to go home but was told by his employer, Panoy Pty Ltd, and the labour hire firm that brought him from the Philippines to complete his two-year contract.”

Work Health Authority‘s executive director, Laurene Hull said in a media statement:

“The danger associated with travelling in the back of a moving utility, where the risk of falling from the moving vehicle can result in death or serious injury is common knowledge,” Ms Hull said.  “Panoy Pty Ltd failed to take appropriate steps to ensure the hazard posed by travelling in the back of utilities was known to the workers and the risks appropriately managed.” Continue reading “The fatal consequences of riding in the tray of a pick-up or ute”

Two new free OHS magazines from Australia

Two interesting and useful OHS publications have been released in Australia.  The West Australian Division of the Safety Institute of Australia has published its Australian Safety Matters magazine.  It is freely downloadable and available HERE.

The second is a publication from Workplace Standards Tasmania and relates particularly to OHS issues related to the electrical, gas, plumbing and building industries.  It’s published twice a year and is available for free download HERE.

Could a prisoner’s death in a prison van be a breach of OHS laws?

ABC television program Lateline broadcast on 2 March 2010 an article (video available) about the death of 59-year-old Mark Holcroft in the back of a prison van in 2009.

Holcroft was a low risk inmate serving 7 months for a drink-driving offence.  He was several weeks into his sentence when he was being transported with six other prisoners to a low-security farm.  From the information made available by ABC, as Holcroft was dying in the van, the other inmates banged on the walls of the van and yelled to attract the drivers’ attention.  The van was equipped with a camera in each of the four corners of the van’s security compartment.  One inmate repeatedly signed at the cameras to attract the attention of the drivers. Continue reading “Could a prisoner’s death in a prison van be a breach of OHS laws?”

Aussie politician risks head injury in photo op

The issue of quad-bike safety continues to be controversial in Australia.  This debate is not helped by inconsistent safety messages on television.  Many of the news bulletins in Australia on 2 March 2010 showed the Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, riding, seemingly for the first time, a quad bike on his trip to central Australia.  Sometimes he is wearing a helmet and at other times, not.

Video available on the ABC website shows parts of an apparent induction on how to operate the quad bike.   Continue reading “Aussie politician risks head injury in photo op”

Tractor death – ROPS but no seatbelt

WorkSafe Victoria reported investigations into a tractor-related death near Yackandandah that occurred on 28 February 2010.  The media release (not yet available online) says:

“WorkSafe Victoria is investigating the death of a man who died when a tractor he was driving tipped over in north-east Victoria yesterday.  The man, aged in his 20s, had been moving bee hives….. He was the second Victorian to die at work since Friday and the second in two weeks to die in a tractor-related incident.”

WorkSafe advised SafetyAtWorkBlog that the tractor had a roll-over protective structure but no seatbelt.

Kevin Jones

Workers’ compensation for travel time injuries will need resolving

Following on from BHP Billiton‘s shift to employees over contractors, a media report on 21 February 2010 illustrates changes in shift lengths that one union says may increase fatigue in the workplace.

BHP Billiton says the company has a fatigue management policy and procedure that can allow for the flexibility of the new shift options but the CFMEU is very concerned about the safety impacts of the shift options.  The Mining Industry Road Safety Alliance illustrates a major flaw in the process that is often reflected in issues of shiftwork and fatigue management  in other industries – increased risk in travelling to and from work. Continue reading “Workers’ compensation for travel time injuries will need resolving”

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