Big Fine for Exclusion Zone Breach

Safety observer controlling access near a telehandler

An engineering firm in WA has been fined nearly $700,000 as a result of a fatal accident where a heavy awkward load fell off the forks of a telehandler while being loaded onto a vehicle.

The court was told the load, a metal frame weighing 650kg, was unstable and not secured to the telehandler. A worker acting as safety observer was too close and moved underneath the frame at times.

Neither of the workers were trained in the exclusion zone rule. The load fell and fatally struck the worker.

We recommend every business with forklifts or similar lifting equipment, where it is not practical to provide solid barrier separation for pedestrians, enforce a strict 3m exclusion zone around manoeuvring mobile plant.

Workers need to be instructed not to approach operating plant until the forklift or crane stops and the driver signals it is safe to approach.

The operator has prime responsibility to stop if any person breaches the exclusion zone, and not to move until the area is clear.

Example of 3m exclusion zone placard on forklift