The hazardous risks associated with forklifts have again received the attention of the safety regulators, with WorkSafe Victoria recently issuing an important notice regarding this common material-handling equipment.

WorkSafe noted in a recent press release that in 2022 there were 142 claims where the cause of injury was a forklift incident.

Of these 142 claims:

• over half were from forklift operators;
• a quarter were from pedestrians being struck by forklifts;
• a quarter were from operators injured getting on an off forklifts;
• a number of workers were injured by poorly secured forklift loads that fell on them; and
• a number of workers were injured when forklifts tipped over.

Tragically, at least eight workers died as a result of interaction with forklifts.

These statistics highlight the importance of considering how forklifts operate within your traffic management plan. In particular:

• design your work layout for forklifts to minimise hazards, including traffic lanes, line marking, exclusion zones and signs;
• ensure only appropriately licensed, competent and authorised workers operate the forklift;
• ensure appropriate speed limits and governing of speed on the forklift; and
• ensure that seatbelts are worn at all times.