WorkSafe investigating after tank crushes man

31 August 2010

WorkSafe inspectors are investigating after a large plastic water tank fell on man in West Melbourne today.

WorkSafe understands the incident occurred at about 12.30pm at a vehicle rental company on Footscray Road.

The 53 year-old man died while helping a member of the public move a large plastic water tank of about 22,000 litre capacity.

Today’s death is the 17th workplace fatality of 2010 and the third this month.

It is the second workplace fatality to occur in the last eight days. A man died when he fell from a grain storage bunker in Geelong on August 23.

WorkSafe's Ross Pilkington said meticulous planning was needed when carrying out non-routine jobs - including using the right equipment, and ensuring people have appropriate skills and training.

"Victoria's workplace health and safety laws require employers to maintain a safe workplace.

“It's a fundamental obligation applying not just to day-to-day work, but particularly when jobs outside of the routine come up.

“Having clear, well understood and applied systems of work with prevent incidents like this one.

“Workers should be encouraged to speak up and be part of the planning process, and they should ensure they make a contribution.

"It's an old, but true, saying - poor planning leads to poor performance."  

This is the fifth workplace incident this year where a heavy item has fallen on and killed a worker.

In July, a 41 year old man died at Appleton Dock when a three-tonne steel beam fell from its clamps.

In June, a female worker at a Woori Yallock vineyard was fatally struck by a falling tree limb during windy weather.

In May, a 33 year-old man died in Wyuna after a metal silo full of barley toppled onto him.

And in January, a man died at Laverton when computer equipment fell on him while being unloaded from a truck.