Company fined $350,000 after fatal gate crush

Foreword

Today, Solve Safety is analysing and reviewing this latest reported WorkSafe Victoria's (workplace safety regulator) News and Safety Alerts. Solve Safety is not identifying the nature of the specific problem of any person or organisation in this commentary but only speculating on what could be happening generally in a situation like this, as described by the regulator's media press release.

Introduction

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Topic Elements

As a learning from the topic elements, Solve Safety has both analysed the background and the timeline of both how and why an incident like this could take place and what judgements or decision reasoning was reached by the workplace safety regulator's published conclusions.

Are You Managing the Hazards When Repairing or Maintaining Motorised Sliding Gates?

Background

According to WorkSafe Victoria’s recent news and safety alerts, a gate manufacturing and repairing company, who had been engaged to repair a set of automatic double-sliding gates at another company’s truck depot, has been convicted and fined. This happened after a depot-based company’s truck driver was fatally crushed when a gate fell and killed them whilst attempting to manually drag the gate closed.  

WorkSafe reported that the service provider’s technician identified operating issues with the gate’s drive motor that required its removal for off-site repairs. This removal allowed the gate, if manually operated, to run on its rollers beyond the support posts and fall if not secured in place.

WorkSafe’s investigations indicated that the repairer had provided verbal advice only but had failed to apply a “lockout-tagout” system. Additionally, they did not physically secure the gates by placing a restraining chain around the gate during repair, so it could not fall until the drive motor had been fixed and reinstalled.

The regulator described the incident as a tragic event with horrific consequences of failure to implement simple safety measures to prevent loss of life and protect workers or others. They emphasised that this should serve as a warning to all service provider duty holders to ensure safe systems of work are in place, leaving no room for discretion and ensuring machinery and equipment are left in a safe condition during repairs and maintenance.

Are You Controlling the Risks When Repairing or Maintaining Motorised Sliding Gates?‍

According to this WorkSafe Victoria’s news, workplace employers (duty holders) should ensure they have currently risk assessed and reviewed their organisations’ operational activities and tasks (harm minimisation) controls for when service providers and technicians are repairing or maintaining motorised sliding gates, such as:

• Only disconnect the drive mechanism if it is safe to do so and make sure the gate can be supported in its track by the post and /or guides. This should include:
  • Ensuring appropriate end stops and catches are installed at both ends of travel.
  • Where double gates meet in the middle, ensure individual gates cannot pass beyond the centre point and leave the support posts and guides.
  • Where required, secure the gate in an open or closed position that prevents the gate from being operated manually.

• Ensure a suitably qualified person completes the repairs as soon as possible.
• Provide appropriate instructions to employers, property owners and/or property managers for the manual operation, or restrict the use of the sliding gate during the period of maintenance.

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