A Springvale grocer that specialises in imported goods, KFL Supermarket Pty Ltd, has been fined $43,000 with no conviction for their failure to prevent an employee from being seriously injured by a forklift in their loading bay area.
The KFL Supermarket loading bay was used for tasks requiring both forklift and pedestrian movements to occur in the same space in order to accept deliveries, load and unload stock, organise stockpiles, collect stock and dispose of rubbish in trash compactors.
In December 2023 an employee entered the loading bay area on foot to collect vegetables from an earlier delivery. At the same time, another KFL employee was operating a forklift to move and reorganise stockpiles in the loading bay. At the time of the incident the employer on foot was positioned in front of a stationary pallet while filling their trolley with vegetables. The forklift was directly behind them, carrying a pallet of stock on its tines. The forklift operator's vision was obstructed by the load, which was approximately 1400mm high.
The forklift drove forward and collided with pedestrian employee, pinning and crushing them between the forklift’s load and the stationary pallet. As a result of the incident, the employee suffered chest injuries including 3 broken ribs, requiring a stay of three days in hospital.
WorkSafe’s investigation revealed that there was no traffic management plan for the loading bay area and employees had not received necessary information, instruction or training in relation to forklift and pedestrian safety. KFL Supermarket was issued with an improvement notice by the attending WorkSafe inspector requiring it to control the risk of powered mobile plant colliding with pedestrians in the loading bay area.
The risks of forklift and pedestrian interaction is notorious, and employers should be well aware of the requirement to eliminate or manage those risks.
KFL Supermarket was instructed by WorkSafe to provide information, instruction and training to employees:
- to maintain a 3m exclusion zone around operating forklifts
- that a spotter must be used to guide the forklift operator if their vision was obstructed by a load
- when and how mobile plant operators must give way to pedestrians
- that pedestrians and forklift operators must be made aware of each other’s presence in the loading bay area
- to use personal protective equipment such as high visibility clothing.
You can learn more about forklift safety and traffic management here:
- https://www.ohsrep.org.au/ohs-in-your-industry/labour-hire/forklift-safety
- https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/developing-forklift-traffic-management-plan
Read more: Prosecution Result Summaries and Enforceable Undertakings | WorkSafe Victoria