A South Clayton business has been ordered to improve safety practices after a man received serious leg injuries yesterday after being hit by a forklift.
The man, aged in his 20s, was walking beside a forklift carrying 660kg of stone cladding and balancing it when he tripped.
The forklift did not stop in time and the man was hit. He was taken to the Alfred Hospital where he had surgery to his leg.
WorkSafe Victoria has issued a safety improvement notice requiring changes to work practices.
WorkSafe’s Executive Director, John Merritt said, separating pedestrians and forklifts was a basic safety issue often ignored in Victorian workplaces.
“This is not hard. Loads must be properly secured so that people do not need to balance them.
“There is no shortage of fatalities or serious and permanent injuries caused by loads falling from forklifts or pedestrians being hit by these machines.
Yesterday’s incident happened less than a day after the launch of a new WorkSafe campaign promoting workplace safety.
“WorkSafe inspectors are active in workplaces where forklifts are used, and this presence will increase in the lead-up to Christmas.
“We are serious about reducing the number of deaths and injuries in Victorian workplaces, and we expect employers and workers to be too.”