Workplace accident serves as forklift warning

Ref: Manufacturers Monthly
6 July 2009

A man remains in a permanent vegetative state nearly three years after a
700kg crate of glass fell on him as it was moved by a forklift after being
unloaded from a truck at Dandenong.

Judge Chettle convicted and fined Asixa $250,000 after the company
pleaded guilty to two workplace health and safety charges laid as a result
of the July 2006 incident.

He said although safety improvements were made after the incident, they
should have made sooner. The injured man was an employee of a labour
hire company but was a deemed employee of Asixa.

The injured man was using a forklift to unload the glass from a truck at
Asixa’s warehouse which was at the time in Quantum Close, Dandenong.

The crate of glass was 1.5m high, by 2m wide and around 20cm deep.

WorkSafe’s Executive Director John Merritt said the shocking and
disastrous outcome for the injured man and his family was a warning
to everyone that the potential for workplace deaths were not the only
issue to be addressed.

“Apart from the deaths, every year there are amputations or hands, fingers,
arms and legs, people end up in wheelchairs, brain damaged or living with
the assistance of machines.

“In terms of the outcome for the individual and their family, this is one of
the worst cases that WorkSafe has had to deal with,” Merritt said.

“Forklifts are among the most common, and dangerous pieces of equipment
in Victorian workplaces yet serious incidents still occur, frequently to people
with inadequate training.

“Although 56 people have died as a result of forklift incidents in Victoria
since 1985 – one-third involving people hit by falling loads – there are
many more where they suffer serious and often permanent, injury.”