Seatbelt saves driver during forklift rollover

According to a mine safety alert from NSW Trade & Investment, in a recent incident a driver lost control of an unladen forklift while driving downhill on a long, straight quarry road. The forklift rolled over and came to rest in an adjacent drain. The driver received bruising to his foot.

Investigations indicated that the driver was wearing a seatbelt. It’s believed that the seatbelt prevented the driver from being crushed, which could have resulted in serious injury or a fatality.

Speed and an undulating road surface were also possible contributing factors. The investigators also noted that most tip-over incidents involve unloaded forklifts, as they are more unstable than a loaded forklift carrying a low load.

For further details and recommendations, please view the full safety alert SA13-09 Seat belt saves forklift driver at: www.resources.nsw.gov.au/safety/safety-alerts.