Toll Transport fined after worker crushed by forklift at busy Perth Airport premises
A shipping and logistics giant has been fined more than $600,000 after a worker’s legs were crushed and broken by a reversing forklift.
A Toll Transport employee was marking cargo holds during rush hour. perth He died in January 2021 as the airport center collapsed.
WorkSafe suffered serious injuries, including fractures and crush injuries to both legs. W.A. in question.
Part of his left leg was also stripped off in this shocking emergency and he has since undergone five surgeries.
The incident occurred in an area where cargo is delivered and sorted before being loaded onto road trains and sent to mining sites.
At the time, the man was working as a forklift driver but was doing light duties after returning to work after a shoulder injury.
Toll pleaded guilty to causing harm to a worker by failing to provide a safe workplace and was fined $625,000 in the Perth Magistrates Court.
“The company was aware of the risks associated with operating forklifts in areas where interaction with other workers could occur,” said WorkSafe Commissioner Sally North.
“Safe operating procedures were in place, which included being aware of pedestrians, maintaining a three-metre exclusion zone and checking mirrors and both shoulders before moving the truck in reverse.
“However, the court found that Toll’s procedures were inadequate because they were required to define the space between forklifts and pedestrians.”
North said it was “feasible” for Toll to use barricades to separate forklifts from areas where pedestrians could mark the ground.
“Toll began using barricades after this incident, but unfortunately it was too late for the worker, who suffered serious and permanent injuries,” North said.
Toll, who was also ordered to pay more than $8,000 in expenses, said he “accepted the outcome of the trial” and expressed his condolences to his former employee and his family.
“The safety and welfare of our employees is our top priority and we continue to review our safety systems and procedures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future,” the company told 7NEWS.com.au.
