Workplace deaths blamed on lax forklift safety rules
Association head claims true rate of fatalities could be upto10peryear
Poor forklift safety rules are leading to needless workplace deaths, an industry expert says. Eleven people have died in accidents involving forklifts in the last seven years — two in the past two weeks.
Four-year-old Jackson White died on Monday after being struck by a forklift at his family’s property near Christchurch.
And, on September 23, Shaldin Joyce, who was 16, died after the forklift he was driving flipped at a site in O¯ta¯huhu, according to Worksafe.
Forklift Association head Andrew Stone believed the true rate of forklift deaths could be up to 10 per year, based on his own research and industry reports.
Notifiable incidents — where someone went to hospital or was badly hurt — were also likely higher than those reported to Worksafe, he said.
The accident rate was “tragically, unacceptably, needlessly high”, said Stone.
Drivers caused most accidents, but forklift operations were seen as lowwage work needing minimal skills.
Stone said no licence was required, though a voluntary code required a certificate of competence for forklift use.
While compliance was very high it only took one day of training to get the certificate. Having one did not prove competence, he said.
The Government and industry agreed forklift regulations were “dysfunctional” and inadequate and did not comply with health and safety law, he said.
He had asked for changes including a minimum age for drivers, vision and motor tests, better testing and ongoing certification.
Stone expressed sympathy for the family and colleagues of those killed, saying Shaldin Joyce’s tragic death “almost certainly should never have happened”.
“The processes, the equipment and technologies, and the training systems exist to allow these dangerous operations to be conducted safely.”
One worker at an East Coast sawmill who nearly lost his life in a forklift accident last March told the Herald forklift regulations urgently needed to change and training needed drastic improvement.
He had walked in front of the silent electrical forklift, not realising it was moving. The driver was carrying a 5m-wide load of timber and didn’t see him.
“I turned and thought someone was playing a joke, giving me a nudge with the forklift,” the worker said.
He was thrown to the ground, rolled under the load and dragged 13.5m across the concrete floor. Every rib broke and both his hips were smashed. Both lungs were punctured. His right kidney almost tore loose. Seven teeth were knocked out.
The forklift driver eventually heard him screaming and lifted the boards off him. A former emergency responder who was contracting on site managed to keep him alive until the ambulance arrived.
Forklifts are especially prone to tipping thanks to a high centre of gravity, made worse when the forks are lifted. Drivers can be thrown out, bystanders hit, and objects can fall on them. They often operate in busy areas with loads impeding vision.
Worksafe vehicle harm engagement lead Ruth Cook said under current law all responsibility sat with businesses. “At the end of the day the worker or driver may have made an error but we’re very careful to say it’s not just the driver’s fault . . . The responsibility has to be owned by the person who creates the risk.”
Businesses could improve safety systems by having safe zones where truck drivers must stand, maintaining the machine and improving driver training. “Say they’ve got a system in place — but what happens when the delivery is late?”
Worksafe’s data shows five of the 11 forklift fatalities since 2013 had been successfully prosecuted by Worksafe, and one by police. One prosecution is still under way and two were investigated but not prosecuted. The deaths of Shaldin Joyce and Jackson White are still being investigated.
Worksafe’s data shows five of the 11 forklift fatalities since 2013 had been successfully prosecuted by Worksafe, and one by police. One prosecution is still under way and two were investigated but not prosecuted. The deaths of Shaldin Joyce and Jackson White are still being investigated.