Employee dies in elevated work platform incident

Background

WorkSafe is investigating after an employee died in an incident involving an EWP. The employee was trying to load the scissor-lift EWP onto a tilt-tray truck in West Melbourne. The EWP fell from the rear of the vehicle and the force ejected the employee from the EWP. The employee received serious head injuries and died in hospital.

There have been a number of similar serious incidents involving the delivery and collection of EWPs.

Safety issues

Delivery and collection of EWPs is a hazardous activity, as it involves shifting heavy plant from one level to another. The risks involved with this activity include:

• overturning during movement
• uncontrolled movement due to freewheeling
• slipping due to low friction
• operating outside of the manufacturer’s instructions
• poor understanding of how to operate the EWP.

Each risk could result in death or serious injury.

Recommended ways to control risk

As an employer, you must provide or maintain systems of work that are safe and without risks to health. You must do this so far as is reasonably practicable. Safe systems of work can eliminate or reduce risks during the unloading and loading of EWPs. Safe systems of work must be in place throughout the delivery and collection of EWPs.

Safe systems of work for delivery and collection of EWPs include the following:

• Transport EWPs on a drop-deck trailer, or low loader, rather than a tilt-tray truck, if practicable.
• Ensure transport operators are trained and competent to operate the EWP.
• Ensure transport operators are trained and competent in the EWP manufacturer’s instructions. This includes instructions in
  • operation
  • emergency devices
  • loading and unloading
  • disengaging the drive motor, if required
  • tie-down procedures.
• Ensure the EWP is loaded and unloaded in line with the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Ensure the correct method is used for loading the EWP onto the specific transport. Methods include, for example
  • drive on/off
  • freewheel and winch
  • drive and winch on/off
  • direct crane lift on/off.
• Ensure transport operators have the appropriate licences. This includes a licence to perform high-risk work and a driver's licence.
• Ensure that the braked wheels of the EWP are always in contact with the ground or bed of the truck. This will prevent unplanned freewheeling.

Reducing risks of working in isolation

In most workplaces, it is unlikely that one solution will be enough to deal with the risks of working alone. More than one solution will be necessary. For example, when loading and unloading:

• use a safety observer, and/or
• use substitute equipment, such as a crane, which requires multiple people.

Legal duties

As an employer, you have duties under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004. You also have duties under the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017.

In line with those duties, you must do the following:

• Provide and maintain, so far as is reasonably practicable, a working environment for your employees that is safe and without risks to health.
• Not allow an employee to perform high-risk work unless the employee holds an appropriate high-risk work licence.
• Provide and maintain fit-for-purpose plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health.
• Provide employees with any necessary information, instruction, training or supervision to enable them to perform their work in a way that is safe and without risks to health. This includes providing what employees need to
  • identify handling hazards
  • safely operate mobile plant.
• Identify any fall and overturning hazards and reduce the associated risks. This will require a risk assessment and risk management process to identify any potential hazards.