Melbourne freight company charged over fatal unloading incident

A Melbourne freight company has been charged after a worker died while unloading sections of steel light poles from a truck at Altona North in June 2020.

The man died after two of the sections became unstable and fell on him during the unloading operation.

Charges Filed Under Victorian OHS Act

This transport company faces two charges under the Victorian OHS Act for failing to provide and maintain safety within its working environment.

WorkSafe alleges the freight transport company breached a section of the Victorian OHS Act by failing to provide or maintain a safe system of work that would eliminate or reduce risk of loads becoming unstable and falling from a truck.

Poor site conditions combined with inadequate systems can turn routine unloading tasks into serious health and safety hazards for workers handling heavy freight.

Training Failures Alleged

The safety watchdog further alleges the company failed to provide training that would enable staff to safely unload trucks carrying industrial materials.

Ensuring workers receive proper instruction remains a fundamental OHS obligation for any transport company moving heavy or unstable loads.

Court Proceedings

This matter is due to be heard at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on 15 March 2022.

Cases like this highlight why robust company vehicle policies and clear safety procedures matter across freight and logistics operations. Businesses handling similar loads should also review dedicated loading and unloading safe work method statements to strengthen their approach to worker health and safety.

Effective incident management processes, paired with a thorough incident reporting policy, can help transport companies identify hazardous conditions before they result in tragedy.

This incident follows a pattern of similar prosecutions across Australia, including a Perth engineering company charged over a fatal workplace incident, charges laid over a fatal workplace incident at a Melbourne depot, and a WA meat processing company charged following a fatal workplace incident. Each case reinforces the ongoing need for employers to prioritise worker safety and uphold their OHS duties.

Source: WorkSafe Victoria website.