Workplace injury leads to 5K fine for Queensland truckie

An experienced truck driver has been fined $5,000 following an incident in which a young worker suffered a crush injury at work and spent 18 days in hospital.

The truckie was recently sentenced in the Longreach Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to charges under Queensland's Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

On 8 February 2020, the truck driver was connecting three trailers to a truck at a Winton property.

Due to one or more missing clips, a trailer's wear pad hung down partially, preventing a clean connection between the third trailer and the dolly attached to the rear of the second trailer.

The truck driver told a young worker to use a 1.5m broom handle to hold up the wear pad to make the connection. The handle was too short, forcing the worker to go under the trailer to hold up the wear.

The young worker was crushed between the dolly and the trailer stand after the truck driver reversed the vehicle. He suffered significant crush injuries following the incident. He spent 18 days in hospital and was unable to work for seven months.

Read the full story on Workplace Health and Safety Queensland website.