Company and director fined for forklift crush incident.
A Ballarat company and its director have been fined over s21 and s144 breaches that resulted in a forklift accident leaving an employee with serious musculoskeletal injuries.
Frederick George Coulter is a Director and Secretary of Enviroflame Firelogs. On 3 July 2019 an incident occurred when the IP was crushed by a forklift and sustained various musculoskeletal injuries. The forklift was being operated by Coulter, who did not hold a valid forklift license.
Enviroflame had no policies or procedures to control the risks associated with mobile plant like forklifts. There was no traffic management plan or physical separation between forklifts and pedestrians at the workplace to prevent collision type injuries occurring.
Enviroflame's contravention was attributable to Coulter, in that he knew of the absence of traffic management measures at the workplace and was able to make decisions about implementing such measures. He was fined $7,500 and the company was fined $40,000.
To check for any Victorian prosecutions before the next edition, go to WorkSafe Victoria's Prosecution Result Summaries and Enforceable Undertakings webpage.
