Worker seriously injured after forklift incident

A 30-year-old worker sustained critical head injuries after an alleged skylarking incident with a forklift at a plastic-pipe manufacturing plant in Bomen near Wagga Wagga in NSW.

WorkCover’s preliminary enquiries suggest that three workers began to use a forklift inappropriately. It is understood that the licensed operator of the forklift was towing his coworkers on a makeshift plastic sled when it became dislodged after the forklift turned a corner. One worker was thrown from the sled and sustained critical head injuries and has been airlifted to a Sydney hospital.

The General Manager of WorkCover’s Occupational Health and Safety Division, John Watson, said forklifts are not designed for towing individuals: “Forklifts are a complex piece of machinery that can be extremely dangerous when not used for their intended purpose.

“Skylarking on any worksite is inappropriate. Skylarking with machinery is dangerous and employers must ensure that they take all necessary training and action to ensure this never occurs.

“Workplace safety should be the number one priority in any business. If not used properly forklifts can put people at risk of serious injury or death. They can easily become out of control, tip over, turn too fast or lose loads and should not carry passengers.

“Sadly, this serious incident could have been avoided. Forklifts should only be used for the purpose for which they are designed.”

When using forklifts, WorkCover recommends:

• Ensuring adequate traffic management, including the safety of pedestrians and bystanders;
• Planning for the task and ensuring the right equipment is being used for the load;
• Forklifts must be correctly maintained and operated in accordance with the designer's and manufacturer's instruction; and
• Forklift operators must be correctly certified and have the correct training for the particular forklift.