Forklift safety highlighted at seminar

WorkCover NSW chief executive officer, Jon Blackwell has highlighted forklift truck safety as a major OHS issue and is encouraging forklift users to attend a free safety seminar on the subject.

"Employers and workers who use forklifts must take extra care when working with the machines, as there are a significant number of workplace incidents involving them," Blackwell said.

The most recent serious incident, on 20 April 2007, saw a 21-year-old storeman killed driving a forklift when the machine rolled, striking him in the neck at a warehouse in Villawood.

WorkCover is keen to assist the efforts of industry to prevent such incidents, through education and advice in the workplace.

Blackwell said the safe operation of forklift trucks and the development and use of appropriate workplace traffic management plans was one of the topics highlighted through the last Safety Summit.

"WorkCover will be participating in a series of free seminars arranged by the Australian Industrial Lift Truck Association in Sydney, Newcastle, Orange and Wollongong between May and September 2007. A range of other speakers from industry will be presenting at the seminars.

The seminars will be held at: Newcastle on 5 June 2007; Orange on 17 July 2007; Sydney on 7 August 2007; and Wollongong on 4 September 2007.

A range of safety information, including publications and guidance material on working with forklifts, is available from the WorkCover website: www.workcover.nsw.gov.au.