Worker injured after cherry picker incident in Perth

Worker Injured After Cherry Picker Incident in Perth

A worker pruning trees in Perth suffered a broken arm on Friday afternoon after the tipped cherry picker basket he was operating fell to the ground. This latest incident highlights ongoing risks associated with elevated work platform operations across construction and maintenance sites.

The 22-year-old is believed to have broken his arm falling seven metres to the ground on the other side of the road. He was on top of the cherry picker when it fell in Yokine, a suburb of Perth.

Emergency crews rushed the injured man to Royal Perth Hospital for treatment. WorkSafe now conducts an investigation into the cause of this incident, following standard procedure for workplace injuries reported across Western Australia.

What Happened During the Incident

Details from initial reports suggest the cherry picker tipped while the young Perth worker carried out routine tree pruning duties. No video footage of the actual tip-over has been made public, though WorkSafe's findings may shed further light on contributing factors once released.

Cherry pickers, also known as elevated work platforms (EWPs), pose significant tip-over risks when ground conditions, load limits, or operating procedures aren't properly managed. Safe operation depends heavily on trained personnel following documented procedures.

Why Cherry Picker Safety Procedures Matter

Incidents like this Perth case reinforce why businesses using EWPs need robust, site-specific safety documentation. A properly implemented EWP cherry picker SOP helps operators understand load limits, ground stability checks, and emergency response steps before work begins.

Similarly, a cherry picker EWP SWMS outlines the specific hazards and control measures relevant to tasks like tree pruning at height. For sites using multiple types of elevated equipment, an EWP-boom-cherry picker-scissor lift SWMS can cover several platform types under one comprehensive document.

Reporting and Managing Workplace Incidents

When injuries occur, businesses must record and report them correctly. Maintaining thorough incident management checklists, forms and registers ensures organisations meet legal obligations while supporting injured workers through recovery.

Clear contractor obligations also matter — a well-drafted worker contractor manual sets expectations around safe work practices, reporting lines, and equipment checks before tasks begin.

Similar Workplace Incidents in the News

This isn't the first workplace injury reported across Western Australia in recent news. Read our coverage of a teen worker critically injured after being struck by a wooden sheet in Perth, another incident drawing attention to gaps in on-site safety controls.

Other recent news stories include a Queenstown worker injured in a truck incident, where the injured man was left trapped following equipment failure, and a separate report on a worker hospitalised after an industrial incident. Together, these stories reflect a pattern of preventable injuries across sectors, from construction sites to industrial facilities.

For more workplace safety news and updates on WorkSafe investigations, follow our ongoing coverage of incidents affecting workers nationwide.

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