Safety Measures to Prevent Workplace Injury and Death in Industrial Facilities

In 2020 alone, 194 Australians lost their lives in workplace accidents. These deaths were all preventable. With the proper workplace safety implementations, further deaths can be prevented.

Between 2019 and 2020 in Australia vehicle collisions accounted for 41% of all workplace deaths, 13% of deaths occurred when workers were hit by moving objects, 11% from falls from heights, 9% from workers being hit by falling objects, 7% from trapping by moving machinery, 6% from trapping between stationary and moving objects and 13% by other mechanisms.

Area safe offers solutions to help reduce the risk of these incidents occurring on your worksite. Our number one aim is to provide safety to Australians so they don’t need to question if they will make it home safely from work.

In addition to the devastating fatality rates, between 2019-2020 the cases of work-related serious injury or disease were astronomical. A total of 120,355 total claims were made in the 12-month period. The risk of injury on worksites doesn’t just affect worker’s health, safety, and job security. Workplace injuries can seriously impact businesses with workers needing to take an average of 6.6 weeks off work because of their injuries and compensation pay-outs averaging $13,500.

Transport, postal and warehousing workers accounted for 7.8 fatalities per 100,000 workers and construction had 3.1 fatalities per 100,000 workers. Both industries have tools that can be utilised to prevent the risk for workers.

“There were 15,567 claims made by construction workers for workplace injury or illness between 2019 and 2020 and 9,190 from transport, postal and warehouse workers” notes freight company Camex, “These figures show the huge risk associated with these industries”.

Warehouse Industrial Barriers:

The Industrial Barriers are designed to safeguard vehicles, objects, or equipment from falling on or colliding with workers. These are perfect for use in factories where forklift or pump trucks are frequently used. Industrial barriers can create safe pathways for vehicles to travel which can prevent workers from being hit.

“16% of all serious workplace injury claims occur after workers are hit by moving objects, it is the third leading cause of injury at work” explains construction company Probuild Construct, “19,417 people were injured after being hit with moving objects between 2019 and 2020 and a lot of these incidences could have been prevented if there was proper barriers in place”.

Pedestrian Safety Rail:

Our pedestrian safety rails are used to create walkways, exclusion zones and handrails. The modular system allows for maximum customisation that means you can optimise your worksite’s safety.

Safety Mirrors:

Properly installed safety mirrors can provide visibility for blind spots which can prevent vehicles from colliding with pedestrians and other vehicles which is a leading cause of workplace fatality in Australia every year.

Wheel Stops:

Wheel stops are a great tool that can help prevent vehicles from rolling or driving too far into a parking space. Wheel stops can be fitted with reflective material making it easier for drivers to navigate parking in low light conditions.

“Wheel stops should not be relied on for preventing vehicles from rolling and should be used in conjunction with other tools like industrial barriers or guardrails to prevent vehicles from rolling and causing damage, injury or death” warns APC Auto Centre.

Signage:

Signage is essential in car parks, warehouses, and factories. Signage clearly communicates with drivers and helps provide direction that can reduce collisions with pedestrians, objects, or other vehicles.