National campaign into forklift safety

The campaign is being conducted by the Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities (HWSA), which is the joint national body of Australia’s OHS authorities, of which Comcare is a member.

The national campaign aims to reduce the rate of incidents and injury from forklift-related tasks such as loading and unloading vehicles. Forklifts present a well-known hazard in many work environments, involving a high risk of severe work-related injury or fatality to operators, those working around forklifts, and others in the workplaces.

In Australia during the period 2000 to 2007, there were more than 7,400 work-related injuries where forklift trucks were the nominated Agency of Accident. During the period 2006/07 – 2007/08, Comcare accepted 177 claims where forklifts were involved, costing employers nearly $1.4 million.

The campaign aims to protect the safety and welfare of workers through education, assurance and enforcement by contributing to the reduction of incidence and cost of forklift-related injuries within the jurisdiction through:

• the provision of guidance and assistance
• assessing the level of safety of forklift operations
• assessing the level of compliance of forklift related activities
• enforcement activities to improve the management of forklift operations
  

The campaign also aims to highlight the importance of systematically identifying hazards in the workplace and implementing sustainable control measures to eliminate or minimise incidents of harm. This should safeguard workers from injury, and help reduce the worker’s compensation cost and other expenses to employers.

Forklift guidance information is available on the Comcare website, and the Health & Safety Assistance Section can provide quality education, advice and assistance to stakeholders, on how to meet the requirements of Commonwealth OHS legislation and associated regulations.

Site visits, will be undertaken by Comcare investigators which are expected to begin in July 2010.

Outcomes and feedback from the workplace visits will be collated and referred to the HWSA representatives for analysis. The results of the campaign should be released by the end of 2010. Those employers selected for workplace visits will be advised in accordance with the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1991.  A report will also be prepared by the National Compliance Section for each of the employers, where site visits are undertaken.

For education, advice and assistance on workplace health and safety and the relevant laws, call the Health & Safety Assistance Section on 1300 366 979.