What South Australian workplaces can learn from a serious forklift safety breach
A serious forklift incident in South Australia resulted in a $180,000 fine after a worker was badly injured by a reversing forklift.
According to SafeWork SA, Mitolo Group was sentenced in the South Australian Employment Tribunal on 21 March 2025 after being charged with breaching section 32 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA). The incident occurred at the company’s Penfield Gardens potato processing facility on 30 May 2022 when a worker standing near his stationary forklift was struck by a second reversing forklift and pinned between the two vehicles.
The worker suffered serious injuries, including a crushed pelvis, spinal fractures and internal injuries. SafeWork SA’s investigation found failures around pedestrian and forklift separation, safe stopping zones and procedures for managing workers and forklifts in the area where the incident occurred.
This case is a strong reminder that forklift safety is not only about operator skill. It is also about traffic management, pedestrian controls, site procedures, supervision, worker training and clear communication.
INDUCT FOR WORK helps businesses support safer work practices by delivering online inductions, collecting acknowledgements, managing training records and supporting incident reporting in one platform.
What happened in the South Australian forklift incident?
The incident occurred inside a potato processing facility in South Australia.
A worker stopped his forklift in an area known as the “specials” area, next to a marked pedestrian walkway. He got off the forklift to collect gloves. While he was standing near the stationary forklift, another worker began reversing a second forklift. The second forklift struck the worker and pinned him between the two forklifts.
SafeWork SA reported that the company failed to ensure the area had a designated safe stopping zone for forklifts. It also found that adequate processes and procedures were not in place for managing workers and forklifts entering or remaining in that area.
After the incident, SafeWork SA issued prohibition notices on the two forklifts involved and improvement notices requiring the company to review its traffic management procedure for mobile plant and pedestrians. The company was also required to implement a process for forklift pre-start checks.
This incident shows how quickly a routine task can become serious when forklifts and pedestrians share the same space without adequate controls.
Why forklift incidents are so serious
Forklifts are powerful mobile plant. They are used every day in warehouses, factories, farms, transport depots, construction sites, distribution centres and processing facilities.
Because they are common, workers can become too familiar with them. That familiarity can create risk when people forget how dangerous forklifts can be in shared work areas.
Forklift incidents can involve:
- workers being struck by reversing forklifts
- pedestrians being pinned between forklifts and fixed objects
- loads falling from tynes
- forklifts tipping over
- collisions with racking or structures
- workers being hit by moving loads
- unsafe loading or unloading
- poor visibility around corners or stacked materials
- unclear traffic routes
- missing exclusion zones
The South Australian case is a reminder that forklift safety requires more than signs and general instructions. Businesses need practical controls that match the real movement of people, plant and materials on site.
Who this is for
This article is especially relevant for:
- warehouses
- distribution centres
- manufacturing businesses
- food processing facilities
- farms and agriculture businesses
- transport and logistics operators
- construction sites
- retail distribution operations
- storage facilities
- loading docks
- recycling facilities
- councils and depots
- factories
- maintenance teams
- businesses using contractors around mobile plant
- workplaces with temporary workers or labour hire staff
If forklifts move through your workplace, then traffic management, worker training, pedestrian controls and reporting procedures need proper attention.
Common problems solved
INDUCT FOR WORK helps businesses address common communication and record-keeping problems that can affect forklift safety.
These include:
- workers not completing site induction before entering forklift zones
- contractors not understanding traffic management rules
- pedestrians walking through forklift operating areas
- no clear proof that workers received safety instructions
- old traffic management procedures being used
- pre-start check processes not being recorded clearly
- staff not knowing how to report hazards
- forklift-related incidents or near misses not being captured properly
- inconsistent training between sites or supervisors
- signed acknowledgements being stored in paper folders
- managers not knowing who has completed required training
- difficulty finding records after an incident
A safer forklift environment depends on clear procedures, consistent training, visible records and prompt reporting.
Forklift traffic management matters
Traffic management is one of the most important parts of forklift safety.
Where forklifts and pedestrians operate in the same workplace, there must be a clear plan for how people and mobile plant move safely.
A traffic management plan may include:
- marked pedestrian walkways
- forklift travel routes
- designated crossing points
- loading zones
- unloading zones
- exclusion areas
- one-way systems
- speed limits
- mirrors and warning devices
- signage
- physical barriers where suitable
- safe stopping zones
- communication procedures
- supervision requirements
The South Australian incident showed that having a marked pedestrian walkway was not enough by itself. SafeWork SA’s investigation identified the lack of a designated safe stopping zone and inadequate processes for workers and forklifts in the “specials” area.
Traffic management needs to reflect how work actually happens, not just how it appears on a plan.
Separate forklifts from pedestrians where possible
One of the most important forklift safety principles is separating mobile plant from pedestrians.
This may include:
- physical barriers
- pedestrian-only walkways
- restricted forklift zones
- exclusion zones during loading
- separate entry and exit points
- controlled crossing areas
- clearly marked waiting zones
- supervisor-controlled access
- timed separation of pedestrian and forklift activity
Painted lines may help, but they may not be enough where the risk is high. Physical separation is often stronger than relying only on workers seeing and avoiding forklifts.
The goal is to reduce the chance that a worker has to stand, walk or wait in a forklift operating area.
Safe stopping zones for forklifts
The SafeWork SA case specifically highlighted the lack of a designated safe stopping zone for forklifts in the area where the incident occurred.
A safe stopping zone should make it clear where forklifts can stop without creating danger for operators, pedestrians or other mobile plant.
Safe stopping areas should consider:
- whether other forklifts can pass safely
- visibility for reversing plant
- pedestrian walkways
- nearby fixed structures
- blind spots
- loading and unloading activity
- driver dismounting points
- access to required equipment
- escape paths for workers
- whether stopping creates a pinch point
If forklift operators need to leave the vehicle to collect equipment, inspect loads or complete checks, the workplace should consider where that can happen safely.
Forklift reversing risks
Reversing forklifts create serious risk because visibility can be limited.
The risk may increase when:
- loads block the operator’s view
- noise makes warning sounds harder to hear
- pedestrians assume the operator has seen them
- forklifts reverse near walkways
- aisles are narrow
- mirrors are missing or poorly positioned
- lighting is poor
- several forklifts operate in the same area
- workers stand near stationary plant
- there are no exclusion zones
Workplaces should assess reversing risks carefully and reduce them where possible.
Controls may include one-way routes, spotters, warning systems, separation barriers, reversing alarms, flashing beacons, speed controls and better traffic layout.
Forklift pre-start checks
After the incident, SafeWork SA issued improvement notices that required a process to ensure forklift pre-start checks.
Pre-start checks help confirm that a forklift is safe to operate before use.
A pre-start checklist may include:
- brakes
- steering
- horn
- lights
- reversing alarm
- tyres
- tynes
- mast operation
- hydraulic leaks
- seatbelt
- mirrors
- warning devices
- battery or fuel system
- general visible damage
Pre-start checks should not be treated as a tick-and-forget exercise. Workers should know what to check, when to report faults and who has authority to remove a forklift from use.
Digital checklists can help businesses keep records of completed checks and reported issues.
Forklift training and induction
Forklift operators must have appropriate training and licensing for the work they perform, but site-specific induction is still important.
A licensed forklift operator may understand how to operate a forklift, but they still need to understand your workplace layout, traffic routes, pedestrian controls, reporting procedures and site-specific hazards.
A forklift safety induction may cover:
- site traffic rules
- pedestrian exclusion zones
- speed limits
- loading and unloading areas
- reversing procedures
- parking and stopping rules
- pre-start checks
- fault reporting
- incident reporting
- emergency procedures
- PPE requirements
- communication signals
- contractor access rules
INDUCT FOR WORK helps businesses deliver safety information through online induction software so workers and contractors can complete required training before starting work or entering operational areas.
Contractor safety around forklifts
Contractors may enter workplaces where forklifts operate but may not fully understand the traffic rules.
This is common for:
- maintenance contractors
- cleaners
- electricians
- plumbers
- equipment technicians
- transport providers
- temporary labour hire workers
- auditors
- installation teams
- delivery drivers
- pest control contractors
A contractor induction can help explain forklift zones, pedestrian routes, restricted areas, sign-in requirements, PPE rules and who to contact before entering operational spaces.
Contractor safety should not depend on a quick verbal warning at reception. If mobile plant is present, contractors need clear instructions before they enter the work area.
Forklift near misses should be reported
Not every forklift safety issue results in an injury, but near misses should still be treated seriously.
A near miss may include:
- a forklift almost striking a pedestrian
- a worker stepping into a forklift path
- a load falling without injury
- a forklift reversing too close to another worker
- a pedestrian walkway being blocked
- a forklift operating with poor visibility
- a driver ignoring speed limits
- an unsafe parking location
- damaged racking caused by forklift contact
- repeated congestion in a loading area
Near misses reveal weaknesses before someone is injured.
INDUCT FOR WORK supports incident reporting so businesses can capture incidents, hazards and near misses online. This can help managers identify patterns and act earlier.
Record keeping after forklift incidents
After a forklift incident, records matter.
A business may need to review:
- induction completion records
- forklift operator training records
- licence records
- traffic management procedures
- signed acknowledgements
- pre-start check records
- incident reports
- hazard reports
- maintenance records
- toolbox talk records
- contractor induction records
- supervisor instructions
- corrective actions
If these records are spread across folders, emails and paper files, they can be difficult to locate.
INDUCT FOR WORK helps improve record keeping by keeping training records, acknowledgements and reports online.
Good records do not prevent incidents by themselves. They support better management, faster review and clearer follow-up.
Why use INDUCT FOR WORK instead of relying on manual safety processes?
Manual safety processes can work when a workplace is small, simple and stable. Forklift environments are rarely that simple.
Workers change. Contractors arrive. Loading areas get busy. Traffic routes shift. Equipment changes. New hazards appear.
If safety information is only delivered verbally or stored in paper folders, important details can be missed.
INDUCT FOR WORK helps businesses move key safety communication steps into a structured online process.
This helps businesses:
- deliver consistent forklift safety induction content
- collect worker acknowledgements
- manage contractor inductions
- store training records online
- keep safety forms and records together
- support incident and near miss reporting
- track who has completed required training
- improve visibility across sites
- reduce paper handling
- retrieve records when needed
The platform does not replace physical controls, supervision or proper traffic management. It supports those controls by making training, communication and records easier to manage.
Manual Forklift Safety Records vs INDUCT FOR WORK
| Manual Safety Process | INDUCT FOR WORK |
|---|---|
| Forklift rules explained verbally | Safety instructions delivered online |
| Paper acknowledgements stored in folders | Acknowledgements stored with user records |
| Contractors briefed on arrival | Contractors can complete induction before arrival |
| Pre-start forms handled manually | Digital forms can support clearer record keeping |
| Near misses may go unreported | Incidents and near misses can be submitted online |
| Training records are spread across files | Training records are kept in one platform |
| Supervisors repeat the same instructions | Core safety content can be standardised |
| Records are hard to retrieve after an incident | Records can be located more easily |
| Multiple sites use different processes | Induction content can be assigned by site or role |
| Follow-up depends on memory | Completion status can be tracked online |
Practical forklift safety lessons from the SA case
The South Australian forklift incident provides several practical lessons for businesses.
Review shared forklift and pedestrian areas
Look closely at every area where forklifts and people may interact. Pay attention to loading zones, walkways, stopping areas, blind corners and congested work areas.
Do not rely only on painted lines
Marked walkways can help, but they may not be enough. Consider physical separation, barriers, exclusion zones and better traffic flow where suitable.
Define safe stopping zones
Forklift operators need clear rules about where they can stop, park and dismount.
Manage reversing risks
Reversing forklifts should be assessed carefully. Workplaces should reduce reversing where possible and use controls where reversing cannot be avoided.
Train workers on site-specific rules
A licence or general experience does not replace site-specific induction. Workers need to understand the layout, procedures and controls at your workplace.
Capture near misses early
Near misses are warnings. Treat them as opportunities to fix problems before injuries occur.
Keep records easy to find
Training, acknowledgements, procedures and incident reports should be available when needed.
Start improving forklift safety communication and records
The South Australian forklift incident is a serious reminder that workplaces must carefully manage the interaction between forklifts and pedestrians.
Traffic management, safe stopping zones, pedestrian separation, training, reporting and record keeping all matter.
INDUCT FOR WORK helps businesses support safer systems by delivering online inductions, collecting acknowledgements, managing contractor information, supporting incident reporting and keeping records in one platform.
If your workplace uses forklifts or other mobile plant, clear communication and reliable records should be part of your safety process.
Move away from scattered paperwork and give your team a better way to manage safety training, acknowledgements and incident records online.
Frequently asked questions
A worker at a South Australian potato processing facility was struck by a reversing forklift and pinned between two forklifts. The worker suffered serious injuries and the company was later fined $180,000 after a SafeWork SA prosecution.
SafeWork SA reported that the company failed to adequately separate forklift operations from pedestrians. The investigation also found there was no designated safe stopping zone for forklifts in the area and inadequate procedures for managing workers and forklifts there.
Workplaces should review forklift traffic management, pedestrian separation, reversing risks, safe stopping zones, pre-start checks, worker training and near miss reporting.
INDUCT FOR WORK Online inductions can help deliver consistent safety information before workers or contractors enter forklift operating areas. They can cover traffic rules, pedestrian zones, emergency steps, pre-start checks and reporting procedures.
Yes. Contractors who enter workplaces where forklifts operate should receive site-specific safety information, including traffic routes, restricted areas, PPE rules and incident reporting steps.
Near misses can reveal unsafe conditions before someone is injured. Reporting near misses helps businesses identify patterns and improve controls.
Yes. INDUCT FOR WORK can help businesses manage induction records, acknowledgements, forms, contractor records and incident reports online.
Start a free trial or book a demo to see how INDUCT FOR WORK can support your workplace processes.
Author: Matt Tsashkuniats
Published: 27/03/2025
Last edited: 30/04/2026
