2 October 2018

WorkSafe is reminding the logistics and transport sector that they need to be considering the health and safety of truck drivers coming on and off of their sites to pick up and deliver goods.

The message follows the sentencing of logistics and transport company Kuehne + Nagel Limited yesterday after an incident at their Mangere site in June 2016.

A truck driver collecting goods on the site was struck and pinned by a moving forklift and sustained seven fractures to his left foot. A WorkSafe investigation found that Kuehne + Nagel had not established or communicated any safe system of work with the truck driver.

While they did have some systems in place, the truck driver was not aware of them and they were not enforced – leaving them ineffective in managing the risk of a pedestrian being struck by moving plant.

WorkSafe’s Deputy General Manager for Investigations and Specialist Services Simon Humphries said:

“The site was busy with more than 100 trucks coming in to deliver and collect goods each day. Kuehne + Nagel had a responsibility under the Health and Safety at Work Act for those truck drivers and other workers coming onto their site.”

“Forklifts are difficult to manoeuvre, they are frequently loaded to the point where visibility is compromised and they can be deadly when pedestrians are involved. Traffic management should be a paramount health and safety concern for businesses using them and for those with vehicles moving on, off and around your workplace”.

Another company, Cardinal Logistics Limited, is due to appear for sentencing in the Christchurch District Court on Friday 5th October following a separate forklift related incident.

ENDS

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