In December 2020, a worker suffered serious injuries when he fell from a forklift. Early investigations indicate he was attempting to repair a jammed roller door.
The man was working from a stillage container being used as a makeshift work box and had been lifted on the tines of a forklift. It appears that as the worker moved to one side of the crate it overbalanced causing him (and the crate) to fall almost 5 metres. Source: Worksafe Queensland
There are ways to work from height using a forklift. Some are:
- A properly engineered work box
- A forklift of the correct capacity for the job
- Work box securely attached
- Mast protection for the worker
- Tyne tunnels
- Training in the use of the cage or work box
If the equipment is fit for purpose, and everyone knows what they are doing and the risks have been assessed and managed, we’re nearly there.
Should you be asked to ‘just jump in’ to do a task, stop and think.
