by Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Keysborough medical-goods supplier has faced court after a delivery driver was seriously injured by a loaded-up forklift.
Ultra Health Medical Pty Ltd – which supplies medical masks, gloves and other infection control products – pleaded guilty at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court to workplace safety breaches.
The driver was standing outside his container truck and taking a photo as proof of delivery when he was struck at the Pacific Drive site on 16 February last year, the court heard.
He suffered a significant leg injury that required surgery, including the insertion of plates.
Just a few weeks into his job, the unqualified and inexperienced forklift driver had inadequate workplace supervision, magistrate Hugh Radford noted.
There was also an inadequate traffic management plan at the factory.
At the time, the fork-lift driver didn’t see the truckie. His view of the victim was impaired by the full stack of pallets on his forklift.
Mr Radford noted that a message needed to be sent to other workplaces, due to forklifts being involved in a significant proportion of workplace casualties.
On the other hand, Ultra Health Medical was entitled to a significant sentencing discount for a guilty plea.
Its 30 year-plus history without any criminal priors was also noted.
The firm acted quickly to rectify its workplace practices after the incident, Mr Radford said.
Ultra Health Medical was fined $30,000 for failing to ensure the safety of people other than employees, plus $4939 costs to WorkSafe. It was spared conviction.
