WorkCover warns: take care with excavators

WorkCover NSW has issued an urgent warning to businesses and workers following the notification of a third serious incident involving an excavator in less than two months.

Workplace Health and Safety Division GM John Watson says the most recent incident related to a 20-year-old man hit by an excavator bucket in Dapto, causing suspected serious and permanent injury.

“Also, in the past two months two workers have suffered fatal injuries on demolition sites in Sydney after buckets fell off excavator booms,” Watson says. “Incidents such as these are avoidable. Workers must pay constant attention when working with and around excavators.

“These tragic events have far-reaching consequences for friends, families, and communities. We want all workers to return home safely to their families at the end of every working day.

“These tragic incidents demonstrate why the demolition and construction sectors are a major focus of WorkCover’s 10/5/5 Program, which targets the top 10 highest risk industries, and the top five injuries and illnesses in those industries.”

Watson says there are a number of actions businesses and workers can take to improve safety when working on and around excavators: excavator operators need to know how to operate the specific quick hitch on the excavator they use, whether it is automatically secured or by manually inserting a pin.

“Quick hitches should be maintained and in proper working order,” he says. “Ensure people are not exposed to risks by establishing an exclusion zone when the excavator is in use.”

Click here for WorkCover’s safety alert on working with excavators.