Incident alerts

Alerts to confirm that we are investigating a serious incident, and to provide guidance for workplaces on preventing a similar incident happening.

2018

Worker fatally run over by tractor he was operating

In November 2018, a worker on a rural property died when he was crushed by the wheels of the tractor he was operating. Initial findings suggest he was spraying herbicide on a sugar cane crop and got out of the tractor to re-fill the spray tanks which had been retro-fitted underneath the tractor. It appears the tractor rolled forward over him while he was under it re-filling the tanks. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 13 December 2018 | Read more

Fatal fall from boat in marina yard

In November 2018, a man died when he fell from a boat on a hardstand area at a marina. Early investigations indicate he landed on the ground after falling from the rear of the boat near portable stairs used to access the boat while in dry dock. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 12 December 2018 | Read more

Tower crane strikes powerlines

In November 2018, lifting equipment attached to a tower crane servicing a construction project contacted live overhead powerlines next to the site. This caused the power supply within the local area to automatically shut off. There were no injuries and it appears the crane unintentionally rotated over the powerlines under its own power. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 11 December 2018 | Read more

Worker struck by reversing forklift

In November 2018, a worker sustained minor injuries when he was struck by a reversing forklift in a factory packing room. He walked up to a forklift to speak with its operator and was struck from behind by another forklift which was reversing, crushing him between the two. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 11 December 2018 | Read more

Scaffold collapses onto neighbouring home

In November 2018, a segment of scaffold approximately 17 metres long and 8 metres high on a housing construction site collapsed onto a neighbouring residential house. The house was occupied at the time of the incident. Early investigations suggest the scaffold may have been free standing at the time and had not been tied back to the building or other structure. No one was injured as a result of the collapse. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 10 December 2018 | Read more

Worker fatally crushed by hay bale accumulator

In November 2018, a worker was killed after he was crushed by a hay baling accumulator. An accumulator is towed behind a hay baler and is used to group hay bales together for easier pick up. Accumulators include a large deck that is raised and lowered with a hydraulic cylinder. It appears the accumulator operator was attending to maintenance issues when he was killed. He was found underneath the deck by another worker who went to check on him after contact ceased during a phone call. It is not clear at this stage what caused the incident. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 10 December 2018 | Read more

Father and son drown at beach lagoon

In October 2018, a father and his son who were on holidays from overseas drowned at Airlie Beach lagoon. It appears they got into difficulty in deeper water. Both were pulled from the water but could not be resuscitated. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 06 December 2018 | Read more

Older tourist snorkelling death

In October 2018, an older male tourist was pulled from the water unconscious and later died at a snorkelling site, during a day tour with a tour operator. The tour operator had identified him as an at risk snorkeler. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 29 November 2018 | Read more

Worker killed in fall from grain auger

In November 2018, a worker was fatally injured after he fell 15 metres while trying to move a large mobile grain auger away from a silo. Early investigations indicate the weight of the opposing end of the auger was greater than the end he was holding. As he pulled the auger away from the silo, the opposing end dropped, propelling him into the air. Investigations are continuing
Date issued: 26 November 2018 | Read more

Audience members injured at stunt car event

In October 2018, members of the public sustained a range of injuries after a stunt car lost control and collided with a perimeter fence at a public event. Early enquiries indicate the car used a ramp in the arena as part of the stunt performance just before it hit the fence. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 21 November 2018 | Read more

Worker fatally crushed by grader

In October 2018, a worker was killed when the grader he was operating moved while he was outside the cab. It appears he attempted to get back into the grader to stop it moving, but slipped and was run over by the rear wheels. He had been operating the grader on his own, clearing areas adjacent to fence lines at a large rural property. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 20 November 2018 | Read more

Quad bike fatality while back-burning

In October 2018, a quad bike operator suffered fatal injuries while managing a back-burn on a rural property. He was last seen driving up a road and was found deceased about 20 minutes later underneath the quad bike. He was not wearing a helmet at the time of the incident. There were no witnesses and we continue to work with the Queensland Police Service to determine the cause.
Date issued: 19 November 2018 | Read more

Amusement ride gondola dropped during maintenance

In October 2018, a gondola on a drop tower amusement ride detached from the catch-car above it during maintenance. The catch-car lifts the gondola in place to allow workers to carry out inspections of the ride. On this ride, a detent pin (a type of retaining pin also known as a quick release ball lock pin) is used to prevent the inadvertent release of the gondola. Workers insert the detent pin in the catch-car through a hole in the bottom of the catch-car.
Date issued: 19 November 2018 | Read more

Worker fatally crushed when forklift tipped over

In October 2018, a worker was killed when the forklift he was operating tipped over and pinned him. The experienced operator was moving a load into an industrial shed. The forklift’s mast collided with an overhead steel beam, causing the forklift to tip over onto its side pinning the operator. It appears the operator may not have been wearing a seat belt. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 14 November 2018 | Read more

Workers burned by arc flash in switchboards

In October 2018, an electrical worker received burns to his hand, neck and face from an arc flash while he was terminating cables running to a switchboard.In September 2018, an electrical worker received burns to his hands when his pliers shorted two phases while attempting to fit a three phase circuit breaker to a live switchboard. Investigations into both incidents are continuing.
Date issued: 09 November 2018 | Read more

Tower crane load dropped after hoist rope failure

In October 2018, a hoist rope on a tower crane at a construction site broke while lowering a load which then fell to the ground. Although no-one was injured, this was a dangerous incident that could have had very serious consequences. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 08 November 2018 | Read more

Workers injured when concrete pipe toppled over

In October 2018, two workers in an excavation were injured when a 1350mm diameter concrete stormwater pipe toppled over. They were installing a short 500mm length of the large diameter pipe by abutting the pipe up to the end of a recently laid pipe and using timber and sandbags as chocks to support the pipe in position. It appears one of the workers may have moved a sandbag and the pipe toppled over. One worker was trapped beneath the pipe for several minutes and his leg was broken. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 22 October 2018 | Read more

Worker injured in wall collapse

In September 2018, a worker received serious head, back and chest injuries while attempting to jump off a trestle to avoid the collapse of a 2.8 metre high block wall. He and another worker who was not injured were constructing the block wall.
Date issued: 19 October 2018 | Read more

Worker’s lower leg amputated as forklift strikes bollard

In September 2018, a forklift operator’s lower leg was amputated when the forklift he was driving struck a bollard. Initial investigations suggest he was driving the forklift around a corner of a packing hall onto an exit ramp and his foot may have been outside of the manufacturer’s designated operating position. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 19 October 2018 | Read more

Worker severely injured by failed towing equipment

In September 2018, a truck driver suffered severe abdominal injuries when a chain failed during a semi-trailer recovery operation. The chain was being used with other heavy vehicle recovery equipment including a pulley (snatch block), winch rope and hook to move the jack-knifed semi-trailer.
Date issued: 17 October 2018 | Read more

Worker crushed under his own truck while unloading on a slope

n September 2018, a worker sustained serious crush injuries to his hand, leg, pelvis and torso, as well as a collapsed lung when he was trapped under the wheels of his truck while delivering timber and plasterboard. He parked the truck on a very steep driveway to unload using a vehicle loading crane which he was not familiar with. There were no witnesses to the incident, but skid marks on the driveway indicated the truck had slid approximately eleven metres before crashing into a retaining wall. It is not clear how the worker became trapped and investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 28 September 2018 | Read more

Teenager electrocuted by overhead powerlines on rural property

In September 2018, a teenager was killed when a metal irrigation pipe he was lifting with a friend made contact with an overhead 22,000 volt powerline on a rural property. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 28 September 2018 | Read more

Worker’s arm partially amputated in quad bike collision with mechanical pruner

In August 2018, a worker’s arm was partially amputated when the quad bike he was operating collided with a mechanical pruner. One worker was operating a mechanical pruner attached to the front of a tractor to prune the bottom branches from macadamia trees. Another worker was operating a quad bike nearby. The quad bike and its operator contacted the pruner resulting in a partial arm amputation. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 25 September 2018 | Read more

Worker crushed by falling sheets of balustrading glass

In August 2018, a worker was crushed when multiple sheets of balustrading glass fell from a truck-mounted A-frame. He was standing on the ground beside the truck, holding and balancing the sheets in a near vertical position, while another worker removed a sheet of ply from behind the glass.
Date issued: 07 September 2018 | Read more

Worker killed in fall from air-conditioning duct

In August 2018, a worker was killed after falling twelve metres onto a concrete floor. Early investigations indicate he was undertaking scheduled maintenance of air-conditioning ducts and was in the fresh air intake pre-conditioned outside air (PCOA) unit. A co-worker returned to the area and found a void where a floor grate had been. He looked through the void and saw his colleague on the concrete floor below. This particular PCOA is the only vent open to external, often hot and humid air, and as such is a high corrosion area. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 06 September 2018 | Read more

Operator thrown and killed in bulldozer rollover

In August 2018, a bulldozer operator from Julatten was killed while clearing foliage. It appears the dozer drove onto a log, causing the tracks to lose friction, and it rolled onto a steep slope, throwing him from the cage. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 28 August 2018 | Read more

Worker fatally crushed by prime mover

In July 2018, a worker was fatally crushed by a slow moving prime mover. The truck was undergoing modifications and was being moved under cover at the end of the work day. It is unclear at this stage how the worker came to be under the truck. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 06 August 2018 | Read more

Lift motor falls down shaft injuring workers

In June 2018, two workers were injured when a lift motor being moved in a shaft fell and dislodged scaffolding they were standing on. One fell approximately three metres injuring his shoulder. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 20 July 2018 | Read more

Workers foot amputated in screw conveyor

In July 2018, a worker was cleaning a decanter when he stepped back through an open grate into an operating screw conveyor, which amputated his foot just above his ankle.
Date issued: 20 July 2018 | Read more

Driver fatally crushed by own truck

In June 2018, an owner/operator truck driver was reversing his single deck truck up to a loading ramp to load cattle used in a rodeo as part of the local annual show. It appears he placed the truck in reverse and began to idle backwards – the gearing of the truck in reverse was that low that it did not require the driver to have his foot on the accelerator. He then opened the door and stood on the running boards of the truck holding on to the steering wheel to manoeuvre the truck while looking backwards to where he was going.
Date issued: 18 July 2018 | Read more

Workers hand crushed by mobile piling rig

In June 2018, a worker’s hand was crushed when a mobile piling rig he was operating in crane mode rolled over. The operator was part of a team replacing a wooden railway bridge. Initial inquiries indicate that the piling rig was carrying a load across the tracks when it rolled over on to its side, squashing the cab and crushing his hand. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 18 July 2018 | Read more

Workers fall through second storey floor

In May 2018, two workers fell to the ground when the second storey floor of a residential building under construction collapsed after materials were placed on it by a crane. One worker sustained a broken ankle. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 29 June 2018 | Read more

Worker crushed by slewing crane

In May 2018, a dogger received serious crush injuries while working on a truck mounted crane. He was packing up the chains of the 60 tonne mobile crane when it slewed, trapping him between the counterweights and a toolbox mounted on the truck. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 18 June 2018 | Read more

Two workers burnt in chemical explosion

In May 2018, two workers were seriously injured in a fire, possibly caused by an explosion, while combining chemicals in a four bay metal garage. Both required hospital treatment for serious burns. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 11 June 2018 | Read more

Worker killed by pressurised gas hose

In May 2018, a worker received severe head injuries while removing a hose from a 100 tonne pressure vessel. Initial inquiries indicate the worker was bleeding the vessel when he was struck on the head by the hose, rendering him unconscious. He died of his injuries in hospital. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 01 June 2018 | Read more

Worker crushed by hoist

In May 2018, a worker was pinned and crushed by a personnel and materials hoist on a multi-storey building project on the Gold Coast.
Date issued: 24 May 2018 | Read more

Uncontrolled movement of a concrete truck

In April 2018, a concrete truck was parked on a wet, sloping driveway at a private property in Buderim in readiness for a concrete pour. The operator placed rubber chocks under the front wheels and timber chocks under the rear wheels of the truck.
Date issued: 04 May 2018 | Read more

High pressure water spray on asbestos roof

In April 2018, a contractor used a high pressure water spray on a roof believed to be asbestos containing material (ACM) which he had been engaged to clean and repaint. ACM debris was distributed throughout part of the property and the neighbouring property.
Date issued: 24 April 2018 | Read more

Fall from edge protection system

In March 2018, a 19 year old worker sustained fracture injuries to both kneecaps, partially severed fingers on one hand and a severe laceration to his calf when he fell approximately three metres from a roof.
Date issued: 16 April 2018 | Read more

Worker fell through formwork void

In March 2018, a worker sustained serious spinal injuries as a result of falling approximately three metres through a void in formwork at a multi-storey construction site. Initial inquiries indicate the void was covered with fibrous cement sheeting which broke when the worker stood on it.
Date issued: 12 April 2018 | Read more

Worker impaled by starter bar at construction site

In February 2018, a worker was impaled by a starter bar after falling into a 1.8m deep excavation at a construction site. Early investigations indicate he was walking on a path close to the excavation when the ground slipped. This caused him to fall onto an uncapped starter bar which was protruding from a footing for a retaining wall at the bottom of the excavation. His injuries were not life threatening or permanent and investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 21 March 2018 | Read more

Excavated wall collapse

In February 2018, a worker’s foot and ankle were injured when part of a three metre high near vertical excavation face collapsed. The injured worker was part of a group building a boulder retaining wall. Four workers were gathered at the toe of the excavation when they heard a cracking noise and the excavation face collapsed. Three of them managed to jump out of the way but the fourth was buried up to his knees. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 21 March 2018 | Read more

Worker killed by explosion while welding

The incident happened whilst a worker was making a tractor counterweight by welding empty fuel drums to a steel frame. When the worker placed the welder to the top of a drum, there was an explosion, engulfing him. The fuel or ignition source hasn’t been confirmed. The man sustained full thickness burns to more than 95 per cent of his body. He was transported to Cairns Hospital where he passed away from his injuries. Investigations into the incident are continuing.
Date issued: 21 March 2018 | Read more

Worker killed in skylight fall

In February 2018, a worker was killed after falling five metres onto a concrete floor. Early investigations indicate the worker was attending to a radio tower on the roof of a storage shed when a skylight has collapsed and he fell through to the floor below. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 13 March 2018 | Read more

Primary school student hit by golf buggy

In February 2018, a six year old primary school student was seriously injured by a golf buggy being driven on the school grounds. Early investigations indicate the student came out of the toilet block and ran into the path of the golf buggy. The student sustained leg and skull fractures and bleeding on the brain. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 12 March 2018 | Read more

Workers injured by glass sheets

In February 2018, three workers received severe lacerations when one of several large glass sheets in a racking system fell to the ground and shattered. It appears that one of two workers trying to restrain the glass sheets by hand was unable to support the weight of one of them. Another worker came to his assistance but was unable to prevent the sheet from falling. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 07 March 2018 | Read more

Generator fuel explosion in back of truck

In February 2018, two workers received severe burns to their legs, upper body and face when fuel ignited in the back of a truck.
Date issued: 22 February 2018 | Read more

Young worker injured by nail gun

An apprentice was injured by a nail, fired from a nail gun by another worker, which went through the piece of timber he was holding and into his chest. The worker underwent minor surgery to remove a small piece of bone. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 20 February 2018 | Read more

Vehicle stabilisers and outriggers

In February 2018, a truck fitted with a vehicle loading crane was driven along a road with its stabiliser extended. The stabiliser struck a parked vehicle and a worker standing behind this vehicle was crushed and killed. It is not yet known why the stabiliser was unsecured and investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 20 February 2018 | Read more

Worker burned while lighting furnace

In January 2018, a worker received second degree burns while trying to pour fuel into the vent pipe of a furnace used for drying woodchips. The worker was attempting to light the furnace and spilled the fuel which then ignited resulting in burns to his hands, arms and legs. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 16 February 2018 | Read more

Mobile crane rollover onto four lane road

In January 2018, a 25 tonne articulated crane (a ‘pick and carry’ type mobile crane) overbalanced and fell across four lanes of a major arterial road while it was lifting a sign. Three lanes of traffic were closed at the time and there was no traffic in the open lane. The crane was removing a signage structure 15m in height, 3.9m wide and weighing approximately 4.5 tonnes. While manoeuvring, it appears the load caught on a structure then swung toward the road. Nobody was injured and investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 13 February 2018 | Read more

Worker burned in pump room explosion

On 11 January 2018 a worker was seriously injured in an explosion at a waste treatment plant at the Townsville golf club. Early investigations indicate this may have involved an explosive gas or substance in the pump room, but the ignition source has not been confirmed. The worker received extensive burns requiring hospital treatment. Investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 01 February 2018 | Read more

Two workers die inside agriculture tanker

In January 2018, two men were found dead in the bottom of a fibreglass tank on a trailer. The tanker/trailer is a purpose built tri-axle trailer built for the transport of dunder and molasses.
Date issued: 31 January 2018 | Read more

Automotive mechanic run over by vehicle

On 9 January 2018, a worker was run over by a vehicle while servicing it on sloping ground. Early investigations indicate the worker was underneath the vehicle while the driver was sitting in the cab with the engine running. It appears the vehicle has then moved forward unexpectedly and run over the mechanic. The injured man was then transported to Rockhampton Base Hospital for treatment.
Date issued: 17 January 2018 | Read more

2017

Worker run over by forklift

In May 2018, a worker was struck and run over by a forklift in the loading bay of an industrial workplace on the Gold Coast. Initial inquiries indicate he was standing in the loading bay when the forklift reversed away after returning product to an outside rack. The forklift hit him, seriously injuring his leg and shoulder. Inquiries are continuing.
Date issued: 29 May 2018 | Read more

Worker fatally crushed by elevating work platform

In December 2017, a 22 year old worker was killed while operating a boom elevating work platform (EWP) on a construction site. The EWP basket was approximately 8-10 metres in the air being lowered when it caught on a steel support beam, causing two wheels of the EWP to lift off the ground.
Date issued: 20 December 2017 | Read more

Agriculture mobile plant roll-over fatalities

In December 2017, a worker on a Tamborine Mountain avocado farm was killed when a single seat ride on mower being driven by another worker rolled over on a steep slope and crushed her. A few weeks before, a worker was killed when the tractor he was driving went over the edge of a steep embankment on a banana farm in North Queensland.
Date issued: 13 December 2017 | Read more

Worker fatally crushed while unloading forklift from a trailer

In November 2017, a worker was killed when a forklift fell from the loading ramps of a flatbed trailer while it was being unloaded, crushing him. At this stage, it is not clear what caused the forklift to fall off the ramps and investigations are continuing.
Date issued: 13 December 2017 | Read more

Worker burnt in fuel vapour explosion

A young worker was draining the fuel system of a boat when residual fuel that had collected in the bilge of the boat caught fire. He sustained significant burns to his arm, face, nose and throat requiring hospital treatment.
Date issued: 05 December 2017 | Read more

Worker’s skull fractured by tree branch

In October 2017, a tree lopper was hit by a branch cut by another worker in an elevating work platform approximately 8-10 metres above him. The worker was wearing a helmet and was struck in the head, fracturing his skull. He is being monitored in an intensive care unit.
Date issued: 14 November 2017 | Read more

Worker killed on cane rail siding

In October 2017, a driver’s assistant was struck and killed by rolling stock on a cane rail siding. She left the locomotive to activate points during a shunting sequence, allowing the train to leave the main track and enter the middle loop. She then gave instruction for the train to push empty cane bins into the middle loop.
Date issued: 14 November 2017 | Read more

Two workers seriously burned after contact with high-voltage powerlines

In October 2017 two workers on a rural property in the Western Downs region of Queensland received serious burns from an electric shock. The workers were relocating a grain auger when it came into contact with a 12.7kV single wire earth return (SWER) overhead powerline.
Date issued: 10 November 2017 | Read more

Serious spine injury for farm worker in 4WD rollover

A worker sustained a serious spinal injury in October 2017 while travelling as a passenger in a troop carrier on a fruit and vegetable farm. The worker was in the back of the four wheel drive which rolled over after the driver lost control.
Date issued: 10 November 2017 | Read more

Worker killed by exploding wheel and tyre

A worker was killed in October 2017 after being struck in the face by an exploding wheel and tyre. Initial inquiries indicate that the worker attempted to weld up a small leak in the truck wheel, whilst the tyre was still pressurised.
Date issued: 26 October 2017 | Read more

Child injured after jumping castle became airborne

In September 2017 a child sustained serious injuries when a jumping castle became airborne. The child was playing on the inflatable amusement device when a sudden strong gust of wind lifted the front of it up whilst secured at the back to a fence. The child fell from the device to the ground.
Date issued: 13 October 2017 | Read more

Worker killed after being pinned by mobile plant

In October 2017, a worker was killed after he was pinned between a cane haul out vehicle (a vehicle used to collect and remove sugar cane as it is harvested) and a fuel tanker trailer.
Date issued: 13 October 2017 | Read more

Worker struck in head by portable hydraulic jack

In September 2017, a worker sustained serious head injuries while operating a portable hydraulically powered jack. He was using the jack to expand a semi-circular shaped metal bracket when it dislodged and struck him in the face. He was found unconscious sometime after the incident occurred.
Date issued: 29 September 2017 | Read more

Billboard workers overhead powerlines electric shock

On 7 August 2017, two workers in an uninsulated elevating work platform contacted an 11 kV powerline with the six metre aluminium sail track they were reinstalling on a billboard. Both workers suffered a severe electrical shock and burns from contacting the high voltage lines.
Date issued: 04 September 2017 | Read more

Serious falls from height at the Gold Coast

There have been several recent falls from height at the Gold Coast which are being investigated by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland
Date issued: 22 August 2017 | Read more

Last updated: 04 September 2017

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