Company fined over forklift incident

A Geelong fruit and veggie wholesaler has been fined $50,000 over a workplace incident at its Breakwater warehouse.

The employee suffered fractures and two breaks to his lower spine, after being struck by a load falling from a forklift in July, 2021.

Geelong Citrus Packers pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates’ court to two charges of failing to provide or maintain safe systems of work.

WorkSafe says an investigation found the company had a traffic management plan, but did not adequately eliminate or reduce the risk of forklifts colliding with pedestrians.

The watchdog says forklifts can be valuable in the workplace, but also dangerous if the risks are not properly assessed.