Wednesday 31st March 2021

Workplace Safety News Roundup: Wednesday 31st March 2021

This week's safety bulletin, updated to today's date, covers two serious incidents that highlight why robust safety procedures and proper licensing remain non-negotiable across Australian workplaces.

Forklift Seriously Injures Worker at a Gympie Business

A Gympie business has been fined $35,000 after a worker was seriously injured when a forklift reversed into him. The incident occurred on 8 March 2019, when another employee backed the forklift into the worker, fracturing his legs.

An investigation revealed the forklift's reversing indicator and warning lights were only working intermittently and had been faulty for several weeks. Investigators could not determine whether these lights were operating when the worker sustained his injuries.

The court found the business failed to provide clearly outlined pedestrian areas for safe movement around the site. Although safety procedures had existed since 2010, neither the forklift driver nor the injured worker could recall ever seeing them — a gap that underscores the importance of maintaining a current safe work method statement that workers actually review.

The business pleaded guilty in the Gympie Magistrates Court to failing its duty of care. Magistrate Graham Hillan accepted the guilty plea, noting the company had shown remorse by shutting operations for three days to address safety failures. Beyond the fine, the court ordered an additional $1,600 in costs, with no conviction recorded.

Full details are available on The Daily Telegraph website.

Unlicensed Gas Work Causes an Explosion, Injuring a Worker

An explosion at a restaurant on 10 September 2019 left a worker with burns to 17% of his body, including his face and arms. He had trouble igniting a deep fryer gas appliance and unwittingly opened the individual gas isolation valve for an unsealed pipe, which another worker had left open following disconnection of a separate gas appliance.

On 18 March 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty and was sentenced for carrying out unlicensed gas work and failing to comply with safety requirements by leaving an open-ended pipe uncapped. Penalties included a $5,000 fine plus $2,000 in compensation to the injured worker.

Investigators confirmed the defendant held no gas work licence authorising him to perform this task in Australia. Had a licensed gas fitter carried out the work, the pipe would have been capped according to safety requirements, and the leak would never have occurred. No conviction was recorded.

The original article can be found on the Resources Safety & Health Queensland website.

Key Takeaways for Safety Professionals

• Faulty warning systems on mobile plant, such as forklift reversing lights, demand immediate repair rather than delayed maintenance.
• Written safety procedures only protect workers when staff have actually seen and understood them.
• Unlicensed trade work, particularly gas fitting, carries serious injury risk alongside legal penalties.
• Clearly marked pedestrian zones reduce collision risk in workplaces where forklifts and foot traffic share space.

For more workplace incident summaries and safety guidance, browse our previous roundups: Wednesday 24th March 2021, Wednesday 17th March 2021, and Wednesday 10th March 2021.