Sailmove Pty Ltd

Incident description:

A worker was seriously injured when struck on the left side of his face whilst attempting to sling a crane load. The crane operator, who was not in the line of sight of the injured person, moved the crane boom arm when he incorrectly thought he received a signal from the workers slinging the load. The worker sustained a fractured cheekbone and trauma to his left eye, which required surgical removal.

The defendant had no systems for undertaking this type of work. The task involved the refit of new business premises. No risk assessments had been undertaken on the task being undertaken. The investigation revealed a lack of effective communication and interaction between pedestrian workers and the plant operator.

Court result:

The defendant pleaded guilty and was fined $33 000. No conviction was recorded.

Considerations for prevention:

When working in the manufacturing industry where there is exposure to risks from using plant, obligation holders should apply a risk management approach to ensure the selection of suitable control measures.

Risk management involves evaluating the consequences and likelihood of harm that may result from the hazard, deciding on and implementing control measures to prevent or minimise the level of the risk from the hazard and monitoring the effectiveness of the control measures to ensure they remain working correctly.

When deciding on and implementing appropriate control measures associated with the use of plant, obligation holders should ensure that such tasks are undertaken by suitably qualified and experienced workers. When working with moving plant it is imperative that all workers within the vicinity are aware of the site procedures and do not become complacent in their duties. If line of sight is obscured systems should be in place for hand signals or a back up to ensure that all workers are clear before moving the boom.

Training staff to identify potential risk will also assist in ensuring there are reduced incidents in and around the work place.

Visit the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland website for more information on:

• health and safety information for manufacturing
• crane and hoist licensing requirements
• rigging and dogging licence requirements
• dogging information
• managing risk
• implementing controls or evaluating or monitoring them
• training staff as a control measure
• Mobile Crane Code of Practice 2006
• Risk Management Code of Practice 2007
• Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995
• what penalties apply under the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995