Worker fatally injured adjusting bin tarpaulin cover (20 March 2025)

A skip truck driver was standing at the rear of his vehicle, using a remote control to adjust the position of a bin tarpaulin cover, when he was struck by another vehicle. He sustained fatal injuries.

back view of a yellow skip-bin truck at what appears to be at a truck depot, the location where the accident occurred.
Image 1: Yard where incident occurred.
A side view of a yellow skip-bin truck at what appears to be at a truck depot, the location where the accident occurred.
Image 2: Skip truck and tarpaulin.
                                                                                    

Safety information

Consider ‘reasonably practicable’ control measures to manage the risks associated with moving plant interactions.

Identify hazards

Identify hazards by:

  • consulting with workers and mobile plant operators
  • identifying where mobile plant may interact with pedestrians or other vehicles
  • determining potential locations and circumstances where people, plant and vehicles could collide – for example, when workers are required to alight from their vehicles.

Minimise risk

Eliminate the risk, if possible. If elimination isn’t possible, minimise the risk by:

  • Designing the layout of the workplace so
    • workers are not required to exit their vehicles
    • interaction between pedestrians and mobile plant and other vehicles is minimised
  • using physical barriers and/or exclusion zones to separate workers from mobile plant and vehicles
  • ensuring there are clear, reliable communication systems in place
  • ensuring all workers and other site users are aware of the traffic flow pattern, site rules, control measures and communication systems
  • ensuring workers wear high visibility clothing
  • ensuring designated driver safe zones and safe work zones are utilised on site to separate workers from mobile plant
  • any area where the mobile plant and/or vehicles are required to reverse poses an additional risk and higher levels of controls should be implemented for example: scheduling work so that vehicles and pedestrians are not operating simultaneously in the one area
  • developing, implementing and maintaining a traffic management plan
  • separating designated areas for pedestrians and vehicles.

Control measures

At most sites, a combination of control measures will be required to effectively manage the risks associated with mobile plant. You should:

  • maintain and review control measures. Control measures need to remain effective, particularly if the workplace is changing. Systems should be in place to:
    • assess the effectiveness of current control measures
    • allow reporting and feedback on the effectiveness of the control measures
    • ensure workers are implementing control measures correctly
    • identify upcoming changes to the workplace environment (layout, shared services etc) or work procedures (new equipment or processes, worker training etc) before they occur, and assess the potential impact on control measure,
    • identify and assess possible alternate control measures (for example. new technology).
  • provide supervision and ongoing training.
  • regularly observe your workers to check they are following safe work procedures. Conduct informal discussions or toolbox talks with them to talk about specific health and safety issues.

Related guidance material

Further information

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