Company fined for serious forklift incident at Port Melbourne warehouse

A Melbourne court has fined a transport and logistics company after a worker suffered a serious injury when struck by a forklift in a Port Melbourne warehouse in May 2020.

Summary: The company copped a $40,000 fine for breaching health and safety obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act after failing to ensure its warehouse was safe and without risks. WorkSafe found no traffic management system was in place at the time of the incident.

What Happened During the Forklift Incident

WorkSafe reported that the worker got hit by a forklift after walking into the warehouse. A truck driver entered the same warehouse through an open roller door shortly after a forklift had driven through it.

As he continued walking, the forklift reversed and struck him on the leg. This kind of incident highlights how quickly a routine warehouse task can turn into a serious safety failure without proper traffic management controls.

WorkSafe's Investigation Findings

WorkSafe conducted a thorough investigation into the incident and found the company lacked a traffic management system for separating pedestrians from moving vehicles within its warehouse.

This gap in management practice meant workers and forklift operators shared the same pathways without adequate warning systems, segregation, or supervision — a common contributor to forklift-related injuries across Australian workplaces.

Why Traffic Management Matters for Warehouse Safety

Effective traffic management remains one of the most critical elements of workplace safety in any warehouse environment where forklifts operate alongside pedestrians. Businesses managing similar risks should consider:

• Clearly marked pedestrian walkways separated from vehicle routes
• Physical barriers or signage at high-risk points such as roller doors
• Spotters or warning systems for blind corners and entry points
• Regular review of traffic management plans as part of broader safety management systems

Companies failing to embed these controls into daily operations risk repeating the same health and safety breaches that led to this conviction. Guidance from WorkSafe Victoria outlines specific obligations for employers managing vehicle movement in workplaces.

Lessons for Businesses Managing Forklift Risks

This case serves as a reminder that management systems must go beyond paperwork — genuine safety management requires visible, enforced controls on the warehouse floor.

Employers should regularly audit their site for forklift movement risks, update their management approach as operations change, and ensure every worker understands the traffic management procedures relevant to their role.

Related incidents show this is not an isolated problem. Read about a similar case where a Melbourne warehouse worker succumbed to injuries after a forklift incident, or explore how a New Zealand company was fined after a customer lost a leg in a forklift incident.

Strengthening Your Safety and Compliance Documents

Businesses operating forklifts or managing vehicle traffic on-site should review their existing documentation to confirm it reflects current health and safety requirements.

Useful resources for strengthening management systems include a Company Vehicle Policy for managing on-site vehicle use, and an Incident Reporting Policy for capturing and escalating near misses before they become serious injuries.

Warehouses handling equipment maintenance alongside forklift operations may also benefit from reviewing SOPs for Equipment Maintenance to keep machinery and safety controls aligned.

For further context on forklift-related enforcement action, see how an Auckland company was fined for burn injuries suffered by a forklift operator.

Read more about this case here.