ACT in forklift safety drive

The ACT is taking part in a national campaign to assess and improve forklift safety in the grocery, fruit and vegetable wholesale/retail industries.

The campaign, which will commence in early September, is being conducted by the Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities (HWSA), which is the joint national body of Australia’s OHS authorities, including WorkSafe ACT.

The national campaign aims to reduce the rate of incidents and injury from forklift-related tasks such as loading and unloading vehicles, according to ACT Work Safety Commissioner, Mark McCabe.

“The campaign will specifically look at the safety of forklift truck operations, including safe work procedures and the application of control measures to eliminate or minimise incidents of harm,” he said.

“Workers compensation statistics show that injuries from manual tasks and moving objects in these industries impose a considerable financial burden.”

From 2000 through to 2007, statistics show that across Australia there were more than 7,400 work-related injuries where forklift trucks were the nominated agency of accident, McCabe said.

The campaign will specifically look at the safety of forklift truck operations including operator certification, through assessing initial levels of compliance and providing guidance, assistance and, where necessary, enforcement to improve forklift operation safety.

The campaign also aims to highlight the importance of systematically identifying hazards in workplaces and implementing sustainable control measures to eliminate or minimise incidents of harm.

“The implementation of control measures should safeguard workers from injury, and help reduce the worker’s compensation cost and other expenses to employers,” McCabe said.