1 minute read
Safe movement of vehicles
from ThinkSafe vol. 2 no. 1 January 2020
by Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety
A number of tragic incidents throughout 2019 have led me to focus on the potential dangers of workplaces where vehicles and workers are present in the same area.
Early last year, there were three fatal incidents involving vehicles and people working in the vicinity. Two of these involved workers attempting to free bogged vehicles, and the other involved a tractor moving unexpectedly while being inspected by a worker.
Then, in December, there were a further two deaths involving vehicles on farms. In one, a farm worker died when the utility he was driving rolled on a bend. The following week a visitor to a farm was killed when a farm vehicle reversed over him while he was chasing a calf.
There were a number of independent contributing factors to these incidents, but a lack of safe work procedures is a common thread. Wherever vehicles and people occupy the same workspace, strict rules need to be in place to ensure the work environment is kept as safe as possible.
I urge employers to minimise the risk of injury by ensuring movement
and speed of vehicles is managed, segregating vehicles and pedestrians wherever possible, and maintaining workplaces that prioritise the safety of operators and others.
In addition, safe systems of work, communication systems and signage should be in place, and everyone at the workplace needs to be adequately trained in these systems.
Lastly, operators and others should not be permitted to work in the fall zone of ramps or underneath vehicles or mobile plant that is not adequately supported.
WA’s Commission for Occupational Safety and Health has developed a guidance note on the safe movement of vehicles at workplaces, and all relevant workplaces should ensure they are familiar with the contents of this publication. A self-assessment tool is also available on the WorkSafe WA website so workplaces that contain vehicles or other mobile plant can assess themselves for compliance with workplace safety laws. I urge you to utilise these valuable tools.
Darren Kavanagh, WorkSafe WA Commissioner
