Charges filed after forklift strikes employee at VIC cured meats facility

Charges Filed After Forklift Strikes Employee at VIC Cured Meats Facility

WorkSafe Victoria has filed four charges against a cured meats manufacturer following a serious incident in which a worker suffered injuries after being struck by a reversing forklift at the company's Melbourne warehouse in April 2023.

The charges highlight ongoing concerns within the meat processing industry regarding mobile plant management and pedestrian safety in busy warehouse settings.

Details of the Charges

The company faces four charges under section 21(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act for failing to provide and maintain a safe working environment. This section of the OHS Act forms the backbone of workplace safety obligations across Victorian industry.

WorkSafe alleges the company breached section 21(2)(a) of the OHS Act on two separate occasions by:

• Failing to provide and maintain a safe system of work to separate mobile plant from pedestrians
• Neglecting to ensure the forklift received proper maintenance

Effective mobile plant management requires clear separation systems between powered equipment and foot traffic. Without robust management protocols, warehouses handling mobile plant remain vulnerable to collisions between machinery and personnel.

Why Forklift Safety Matters in the Meat Processing Industry

Cured meats facilities often combine tight warehouse layouts, wet floors, and constant plant movement — a combination that raises risk for pedestrians working near forklifts. Robust safety management systems help reduce these hazards significantly.

Industry professionals in manufacturing and food processing understand that plant maintenance directly affects operational safety. A poorly maintained forklift poses risk not only to its operator but to every pedestrian sharing the same space.

For businesses operating powered mobile plant, strong health and safety management frameworks are essential. Comprehensive documentation, such as a forklift SWMS, supports safer operational practices across industry sectors reliant on mobile plant.

Maintenance Obligations Under the OHS Act

Section 21(2)(a) places clear obligations on employers regarding plant upkeep. Regular maintenance schedules, documented through tools like a forklift maintenance SWMS, help demonstrate compliance with health and safety management requirements.

Facilities managing multiple pieces of mobile plant benefit from structured management systems that track servicing intervals, operator competency, and pedestrian exclusion zones. These management practices form a critical layer of protection for workplace safety, particularly in facilities where plant and personnel regularly interact.

Court Proceedings

A committal mention for the matter has been scheduled at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court for 25 March 2025. WorkSafe Victoria continues to pursue enforcement action against companies failing to meet their health and safety management obligations under Victorian law.

Read the full story here.

Lessons for Industry

This case reinforces the importance of proactive safety management across sectors relying on forklifts and other mobile plant. Employers should regularly review pedestrian separation systems, maintenance logs, and training records to strengthen their overall safety culture.

Similar incidents across Victorian industry demonstrate why consistent management oversight matters. Related cases include charges filed after a worker died from a fall at a VIC construction site, a VIC recycling facility facing charges following a worker death, and a VIC mechanic facing charges after a deadly garbage truck incident.

Businesses seeking to strengthen their facility-wide safety management approach may also find value in a workplace facility plan, which supports structured planning around plant movement, pedestrian zones, and overall site safety.