Worker sustained crush injuries when forklift fell

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MAY CONTAIN DISTRESSING CONTENT TO SOME READERS

In November 2025, a worker sustained crush injuries to the head when a forklift dropped off a jack stand. It appears the worker was conducting work underneath the forklift, supported by a trolley jack and jack stand. The worker was laying down working beneath the forklift when the forklift slid off the jack stand onto the worker.

IMPORTANT

These findings are not yet confirmed, and investigations are continuing into the exact cause.

Safety issues

During a service or when repairs are done, vehicles often need to be raised on a hoist or using trolley or other types of jacks.

Serious crush injuries can occur when:

vehicles drop or roll off hoists, trolley jacks or axle stands (when used on sloping or uneven ground, or the stand is not placed under the correct location the injury risk increases)
vehicles drop when the jacking system fails and there are no jack stands supporting the vehicle
lifting equipment is used incorrectly, not maintained, or is overloaded
the park brake is not engaged and the wheels are not chocked
heavily loaded vehicles (including attachments and modifications) are unstable and tip over when raised on hoists.

The risk substantially increases where workers undertake activities in proximity to, or underneath the plant.

Many of these incidents have occurred due to poor planning of the lifting operation – often because basic factors have been overlooked.

Ways to manage health and safety

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.

Possible control measures to prevent similar incidents

In the past, Queensland workers have been seriously injured or killed because a vehicle has not been safely supported while work is being done underneath it. The risk of the vehicle moving in an uncontrolled or unexpected manner must be managed by ensuring appropriate controls are put in place.

These controls include, but are not limited to:

trolley jacks, scissor jacks and bottle jacks are not designed to hold a vehicle while people work underneath - the vehicle should be placed on axle stands or equivalent after it has been jacked to the required height
operators must be instructed, trained and/or supervised in the safe use of equipment
using components to support a vehicle, such as suitably load rated stands and lifting devices, including hoists and trolley jacks, which should only be used and maintained according to the manufacturer's specifications and instructions
consider heavy vehicle accessories which may alter the vehicles centre of gravity
always apply the hand brake and place vehicle in Park or Neutral when on a hoist or jack
using a flat even surface that can bear the general load of the vehicle and the point load of any equipment such as jacks/lifting equipment
identify the lifting point to correctly position the jack and axle stands under the vehicle, so that the vehicle cannot slide off the jack or stand and no part of the vehicle is damaged by point loading (check the vehicle manufacturer’s manual to confirm this)
when working alone, plan ahead - let others know where you are and check in regularly
installing a handbrake warning system to alert drivers when the handbrake has not been applied (these can be retrofitted)
chocking wheels on both sides of the vehicle using serviceable purpose-built chocks.

Plant that supports vehicles must:

be used/designed to ensure structural integrity and stability
be fitted with an additional back-up safety system which must be engaged prior to commencing work underneath the plant, for example use of vehicle axle stands once vehicle raised from ground.

The person in control of plant must ensure it is maintained, inspected and tested by a competent person, following the manufacturers recommendations (or a competent person’s advice if none), and inspected at least annually if those recommendations are not available.

213 Maintenance and inspection of plant WHSR 2011

The person with management or control of plant at a workplace must ensure that the maintenance, inspection and, if necessary, testing of the plant is carried out by a competent person.
The maintenance, inspection and testing must be carried out?

in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations, if any; or
if there are no manufacturer’s recommendations, in accordance with the recommendations of a competent person; or
in relation to inspection, if it is not reasonably practicable to comply with paragraph (a) or (b), annually.

It is important to develop a safe work procedure that incorporates:

maintenance and repairs in line with the manufacturer's recommendations
conducting vehicle inspections
use of stands, jacks, chocks or other systems for immobilising vehicles
processes to isolate and effectively immobilise vehicles, which can include lockout and tag out procedures
providing workers with instruction, training and supervision on safe work procedures
ensuring worker training, experience and competency aligns with the requirements and complexity of the task
exclusion zones around vehicles, ensuring they are clearly marked and enforced.

The control measures you put in place should be reviewed regularly to ensure they are effective.

More information

If this information has caused distress, there are services to help:

Lifeline – 24/7 crisis support service, including phone, texting and chat services.
Beyond Blue – information and support for anxiety, depression and suicide prevention for everyone in Australia.
Black Dog Institute – research and resources on mental health in the workplace.
SANE – helpline service, as well as resources on mental health.

Have you been affected by a workplace fatality, illness or serious injury?

For advice and support: