National transport company K&S Freighters has been charged by ComCare with breaching work health and safety laws following an incident that injured two workers in South Australia. K&S Freighters is a licenced national employer and is subject to Commonwealth work health and safety legislation.
The incident occurred in December 2022 when a forklift with its forward view blocked by a load of pallets struck two workers, resulting in a broken foot for one worker and a head injury for the second.
ComCare alleges that K&S Freighters failed in their duty to provide a safe system of work. The charge is a Category 2 criminal offence under the national WHS Act and carries a maximum penalty of $1.5 million.
The hazards of mobile equipment such as forklifts operating around pedestrians is well known and there are a number of controls that could have been implemented to eliminate or reduce the health and safety risks to workers and other people. K&S is a large company with the resources to properly manage the safety of its employees.
See our OHSReps page Forklift Safety - OHS Reps for how you can maintain forklift safety in your workplace.
Read more: Transport company charged over worker injuries | Comcare