ASIA-PACIFICFeaturedWorkplace Safety

Machinery falls and crushes employee to death

Load lifting equipment became unbalanced and fatally struck a worker.

Authorities recently examined how a forklift mast weighing up to 2.7 tonnes topped and fell onto a technician performing maintenance on 28 April 2023. The employee did not survive.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the locking pins of the mast were removed without first securing the mast,” a Workplace Safety and Health Council safety bulletin said.

“The forklift’s mast fell on him. The technician was pronounced dead at the scene by attending paramedics.”

Investigators made the following recommendations:

  • ensure worker safety and undertake an assessment of their safety measures
  • deploy only trained, qualified and authorised forklift technicians to assemble, disassemble, repair or maintain equipment
  • provide a safe work procedure (SWP) for mast disassembly that includes steps to control the risk of forklift masts falling onto workers
  • properly secure or hold the mast in place to prevent toppling
  • mark out the mast fall zone, and ensure no one is in the fall zone before mast locking pins are removed
  • provide on-site supervision to ensure workers are aware of hazards and that SWPs are followed closely.

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