Last Friday morning in Pakenham a worker was crushed to death while operating a recycling truck. The 28-year-old was working alone emptying recycling bins when the incident occurred.
“It is believed the 28-year-old man was working alone attempting to empty a bin when he became entangled in a lifting mechanism and was crushed inside the back of the truck,” a spokesperson for WorkSafe Victoria said. WorkSafe is investigating the incident.
In October this year WorkSafe launched a statewide inspection program targeting safety issues around loading and unloading, vehicle maintenance and load restraint in the waste and recycling transport industry – then WorkSafe executive director of health and safety Sam Jenkin said the transportation of waste carried unique risks that employers must take every reasonable step to control.
The safety blitz followed the deaths of eight truck drivers and garbage collectors, engaged in waste and recycling transport, since 2019 – with the most common causes being vehicles rolling away or being involved in crashes.
According to WorkSafe, in the past five years, over 400 truck drivers and garbage collectors in the waste and recycling sector have been injured seriously enough to receive workers compensation. Body stressing, falls, being hit by moving objects and vehicle incidents accounted for the majority of injuries.
WorkSafe says its focus on waste management transport is part of a wider push to improve safety in the heavy vehicle transport industry, through strategic visits, compliance and enforcement, and industry partnerships.
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator has also recently launched a Waste and Recycling Industry Code of Practice to guide the industry on its obligations, common hazards and ways to eliminate or reduce the risks.
Read more: WorkSafe Victoria - WorkSafe investigates recycling truck death
WorkSafe blitz to target waste and recycling transport businesses