SA Potato producer faces $180,000 fine following forklift-related incident

The South Australian Employment Tribunal has fined a potato producer after a worker suffered significant injuries from a forklift that was reversing.

Recently, the company was instructed to pay a fine of $180,000 due to a prosecution initiated by SafeWork SA.

The tribunal accused the company of contravening section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act as a result of its inadequate efforts to ensure a safe distance between forklift operations and pedestrians in the workplace.

The incident took place at a potato processing plant in Adelaide on 30 May 2022, where a worker, positioned beside his stationary forklift, was hit by another forklift that was reversing. Following the incident, the worker incurred various injuries.

“A SafeWork SA investigation found the company failed to ensure the ‘specials’ line area where the incident occurred had a designated safe stopping zone for forklifts,” SafeWork SA said.

“It also failed to ensure there were adequate processes and procedures in place for the management of workers and forklifts entering and/or remaining in the specials line area.”

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