Edition 49, September 2007

Sydney trucking fatality leads to new safety regime

Lessons learned from a fatal incident at a Sydney truck depot have resulted in a major trucking company introducing an impressive array of new safety systems to protect its employees.

A truck driver employed by Western Freight Management received fatal injuries in December 2004 at the Unanderra depot of Star Track Express Pty Ltd when crushed by a reversing truck.

The NSW Industrial Court has found Star Track Express guilty on two charges relating to risk assessment and safe work systems brought by WorkCover NSW under section 8(2) of the Occupational Health & Safety Act 2000.

WorkCover NSW Chief Executive Officer, Jon Blackwell, said Star Track had failed to design a safe work system which took into account the risks likely to occur in a busy truck depot.

The court found that the risks, which existed before the incident, were both obvious and foreseeable. The absence of a traffic plan to manage movement of pedestrians and trucks in the confined space of the Unanderra depot, the absence of high visibility vests and a faulty truck reversing beeper were all contributing factors.

However, the company now has an impressive array of safety systems in place, as well as moving its Unanderra operation to a better designed site.

For more information visit www.workcover.nsw.gov.au

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