PARK Motor Body Builders pleaded guilty and was fined $1500 for failing to minimise the risk of injury to pedestrians from vehicles moving around its yard.
WorkSafe WA’s inspectors were investigating an incident at the company’s premises in March 2007, when they found the movement and speed of vehicles and plant at the workplace were not being managed in a way that minimised the risk of injury to pedestrians.
The entire yard was accessed by both vehicles and pedestrians. Employees walking in the yard were not isolated form the flow of traffic in any area.
Additionally, the doors to the spray painting booth and paint store opened directly into the path of moving vehicles, and there were no signs warning of the presence of trucks moving through the area.
WorkSafe WA says failing to minimise the risk of injury to pedestrians was a breach of the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations.
In the past eight years, 18 Western Australian workers have died in incidents involving plant and pedestrians. Operators of mobile plant often cannot see pedestrians and other workers on the ground, especially when they are close to the vehicle or machine.
In many instances, there needs to be some kind of physical separation of vehicles and people on the ground in a working space.
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