Findings Report: Safety around moving plant and vehicles 2023
A findings report into SafeWork NSW's compliance projects including Earthmoving Plant in Construction, Concrete Placing Equipment, and Cranes (mobile and tower) with a specific focus on types of plant.
Background
Safety around moving plant is a SafeWork NSW 2023 regulatory priority with a focus on reducing workplace safety incidents related to moving plant, particularly forklifts, and forms part of the Work Health and Safety Blueprint to 2026.
The data from the SafeWork NSW Safety Around Moving Plant Priority Plan shows from 2017-2021, 65% of all injuries resulted in a major workers compensation claim which involved machinery and fixed plant. Recent analysis from SafeWork NSW incident data between 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022, also indicated which items of plant are responsible for most injuries and incidents and how incidents are occurring.
In 2022, SafeWork NSW delivered compliance projects including Earthmoving Plant in Construction, Concrete Placing Equipment, and Cranes (mobile and tower) with a specific focus on types of plant.
Inspectors continued to see low safety compliance levels with some key areas including plant collisions, workers being hit, and inadequate traffic/vehicle management systems in place, particularly involving excavators, concrete pumps, cranes, and bobcats.
To address this problem, the 2023 project focused on all types of plant and vehicles to increase principal contractor, sub-contractor, and worker knowledge on safe working practices and to secure compliance when working with or around all types of moving plant and vehicles on and directly around construction sites.
The compliance project was delivered from mid-July to end of September 2023.
Types of sites visited
- infrastructure - 45%
- commercial - 33%
- house construction - 33%
- mid-high rise - 13%
- other (aged car living facility, 2 storey, civil, community open space park and amenities, marina boat ramp / jetty update, park construction, residential subdivision / development) - 18%
- demolition - 12%.
Fines and notices
111 notices with $22,320 fines issued.
Media campaign
The communications plan and media campaign aligned to the goals of the regulatory priority as well as contributed to the overarching Moving Plant Communications strategy.
The Primary Messaging and Campaign Tagline
Tagline: “Keep workers safe around moving plant and vehicles. Don’t get hit with a fine”.
- PCBUs need to effectively plan and implement the separation of plant/vehicles and people on their sites.
- PCBUs know and understand what the appropriate controls are to separate plant and workers e.g., exclusion zones, communication, and supervision.
- SafeWork NSW Inspectors will be out in-force from mid-July targeting safety around separating moving plant/vehicles and workers.
- Employers risk on-the-spot fines or prosecution for putting workers lives at risk.
- SafeWork inspectors will take a zero-tolerance approach to workers lives being placed at risk around moving plant and vehicles.
The social media Facebook and LinkedIn campaign reached 575,020 people.
Industry consultation and communications
Key campaign messaging was also disseminated via email to industry associations, unions, and other interested stakeholders, on the duty to provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to health and safety.
This included the awareness around the provision of safe systems of work such as a traffic management plans that promoted the separation of people from moving plant, using barriers or guardrails. In addition, the focus was to also ensure workers are trained, hold the appropriate high-risk work (HRW) licence, are supervised, have safe work zones, and have stop/start systems been in place where applicable.
SafeWork NSW delivered a TAFE Spotlight Series: Moving Plant in Construction, which was aimed at young workers and apprentices.
Inspector observations
Inspectors observed one area of concern, which was PCBUs did not implement higher order controls in the vehicle/traffic management plan instead of using people where appropriate e.g., automated barriers and traffic signals. (34% compliance.)
Inspectors’ observations found high compliance across many of the checklist areas:
Inspectors observed general compliance (over 94%) with the WHS requirements when working with and around moving plant.
They also observed 90% compliance with the question ‘Does the PCBU have a vehicle / traffic management plan developed by a competent person? Prepare a work zone traffic management plan (PWZ) trained person’.
Overall observations:
- 98% of PCBUs had systems in place to ensure their workers/operators have a HRWL (High Risk Work Licence) if required.
- 96% of PCBUs had a register of their workers/operators and their HRWL details, currency & validity, where required.
- 96% of traffic management plans were in place, and controllers held a current traffic control work training card.
- 94% of spotters allocated where required/appropriate.
- 94% of PCBUs had systems and controls measures in place to ensure mobile powered plant is effectively separated from pedestrians and other plant.
- 90% of PCBUs had a vehicle / traffic management plan developed by a competent person.
- 96% of PCBUs implemented the vehicle / traffic management plan as per the plan, including a delivery zone.
- 99% had adequate communication systems in place for communicating between plant operators and workers.
- 96% had adequate exclusion zones in place around plant and excavation zones.
- 96% of PCBUs had systems in place to ensure worker/operators are protected in the event of the plant overturning, falling objects, being ejected or collisions.
- 99% workers were consulted on working safely around moving plant.
Conclusion
Moving plant and vehicles such as excavators, forklifts, utes, and trucks create a risk to workers when reversing, loading, and unloading. Incidents such as workers or others being hit by moving plant or vehicles can cause injury and death.
High level of compliance was observed in almost all the safety categories. These areas were in HRWL, qualified operators, traffic management plans, spotters, exclusion and excavation zones, control measures for separating mobile plant and pedestrians, systems in place for plant overturning, being ejected or collision, delivery zones, load movements, planning, consultation and communication, and equipment maintenance.
Inspectors observed one area of concern, which was for PCBUs using higher order controls in the vehicle/traffic management plan instead of using people where appropriate e.g., automated barriers and traffic signals. (66% compliance.)
Despite this one area of concern, overall, these are encouraging results and reflective of a high industry standard across the construction industry.
SafeWork NSW recommendations
Safework NSW will:
- Continue to monitor the use of moving plant across the state and develop an intervention program to address any emerging issues or trends in the future.
- Continue to provide education and awareness to industry.
- Provide clear guidance and explanations on the importance of higher order control expectations and the economic benefit of implementing those systems.
- Look to undertake a follow up verification program.