Queensland’s statutory body for safety, WorkSafe Queensland, has issued an alert following a recent fatal workplace incident involving a telehandler.

WorkSafe says the accident, which happened near a farm surge dam, highlights the serious risks associated with operating telehandlers and other mobile equipment near water, particularly where proximity to embankments, ground conditions and safe operating practices may affect a vehicle’s stability.

“This alert serves as a reminder to farmers, operators and persons conducting a business or undertaking of the importance of identifying and managing these risks to help prevent rollovers, loss-of-control events and other potentially fatal incidents,” WorkSafe Queensland states.

“Effective risk management starts with a commitment to health and safety from those who manage the business. If an incident occurs, you will need to show the regulator that you have used an effective risk management process. This responsibility is covered by your primary duty of care in the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

“Use the hierarchy of controls to help decide how to eliminate and reduce risks in your place of work. The hierarchy of controls ranks types of control methods from the highest level of protection and reliability to the lowest. 

“It is a step-by-step approach to eliminating or reducing risks. You must work through the hierarchy of controls when managing risks, with the aim of eliminating the hazard, which is the most effective control.”

WorkSafe adds that when using a telehandler on a farm near dams, irrigation channels, creeks, wetlands, drainage ditches and flooded areas can present additional risks, with the main hazards being rollover, bogging, loss of traction, collapse of embankments and operator entrapment if the machine enters the water.

To prevent this, WorkSafe says the ground should be assessed before work starts, vehicles and equipment should be kept a safe distance from water edges and travel should see the boom lowered.

Extra care should also be taken on slopes, seatbelts and rollover protection should be used, visibility must be maintained and people should always be kept clear of operating machinery.

Where work must be carried out near a water body, ensure operators know emergency procures, make sure reliable communication is maintained and operators should avoid working alone.

“A practical rule on farms is, if the ground near the water’s edge appears soft, cracked, recently eroded or otherwise uncertain, telehandlers should be kept well clear of the area and an alternative method used to access the area,” WorkSafe Queensland continues.

“Most serious telehandler incidents are linked to a loss of stability or overturning often involving poor ground conditions inadequate hazard assessment or unsafe operating practices. These incidents can place operators and others at significant risk.”