SPRINGVALE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA — A shopping-centre owners corporation in Melbourne’s south-east has been convicted and fined A$60,000 after a supermarket worker suffered serious chest injuries in a forklift incident in a shared loading bay.
What the court case established
WorkSafe Victoria said Owners Corporation Plan No. PS423637R, trading as Springvale Shopping Centre, was also ordered to pay A$28,159.10 in costs following a contested hearing at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court. The incident occurred on 1 December 2023 while a KFL Supermarkets worker was collecting vegetables.
A forklift carrying a pallet about 1.4 metres high moved toward the worker while its load obstructed the operator’s view. The worker was pinned between the moving load and a stationary pallet, sustained three broken ribs and other chest injuries, and spent three days in hospital.
Pedestrians and mobile plant were not separated
Inspectors found no effective physical or administrative separation of people on foot from forklifts. Missing controls included barriers, marked walkways, defined vehicle routes and exclusion zones.
HSE Blog’s traffic-management planning guide and review of common forklift accident causes give practical context.
HSE Blog analysis
The critical control was a traffic-management system capable of preventing pedestrian–forklift interaction. Where a tall load blocks forward vision, route design, direction of travel, speed, spotter arrangements and physical separation all need to work together.
Source verification
Three reporting streams were reviewed: WorkSafe Victoria’s 30 October release, News.com.au and OnNotice. No documentary incident image was embedded because no suitable reuse permission was identified.
Source
WorkSafe Victoriaworksafe.vic.gov.au
