The Strong Arm Strap will be assigned to every forklift in every depot, and to every truck in their business, a total of around 600. Pre-start checklists will now include checking that the SAS is available and in a safe and usable condition, and operational procedures will be introduced to make the use of the Strong Arm Strap mandatory when opening and closing tautliner curtains.

Congratulations to this inovative company!

For more information please contact 07 3630 4940

Research from WorkCover Corporation demonstrates that the indirect costs of workplace injury can be estimated to be 5-10 times greater than the direct costs. These indirect costs to employers include increased insurance premiums, lost productivity, driver replacement and training, overtime, damage to vehicle and load or loss of contract/penalties for late delivery.

Let’s examine the costs in Example 1

Direct Costs
Medical = $1,600.00
Salary = $17,000.00
TOTAL $ 18,600

Indirect Costs
Investigation costs
Supervisor Investigation time $20.00
Complete paper work - Manager and OHSW coordinator $120.00
Treatment
First Aid treatment
Time of other employees who assisted injured driver
Transport to Clinic $70.00
Administration
Office Staff $150.00
Replacement driver
Time for induction and additional supervision $125.00
Overtime to make up lost deliveries $60.00
Wages/On-costs $17,000.00
Purchase
(drum handling device) $200. 00
TOTAL $ 17,745

GRAND TOTAL $ 26,345

How do you calculate the real costs of these kinds of injuries?

This $18,000 direct cost injury claim could cost as much as another $18,000 in indirect costs and put your company into a significant penalty on your WorkCover premiums of up to 50 per cent in the following year. Note that if there was damage to the vehicle, freight, other vehicles or members of the public then as the research demonstrates, the indirect costs could be at least $90,000.

If your company operates on a 5 per cent profit margin, then you would need approximately $360,000 in turnover just to recover the indirect losses of this one claim. Imagine what the impact would be on your organisation if you had more than one of these high cost claims every year.

A set of lightweight steps that prevents a fall or a trolley to help shift freight may cost several hundred dollars, but if it saves you just one injury, then clearly you are ahead. How much more competitive would you be if you could prevent these kinds of injuries?

 (Excerpt from ‘Effects of Unsafe Handling of Freight’, Road Freight Transport Industry INFORMATION)

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) held 21 free workshops in 13 locations statewide during March and April 2009 as part of a national campaign aimed to reduce injury rates from manual tasks in the road freight transport industry.

121 businesses were represented at the workshops, with almost 300 participants from regions including Bundaberg, Cairns, Gladstone, Ipswich, Logan, Lutwyche, Mackay, Mount Gravatt, Nambour, Robina, Rockhampton, Toowoomba and Townsville.

The summit will focus on working with the transport, retail and manufacturing industries in the supply chain to identify, discuss and develop solutions to address health and safety issues. The summit will be an interactive exchange of ideas and solutions between employees, employers, unions and WHSQ.

During the summit attendees are invited to participate in one of three dynamic solutions focussed forums:

1. Take a load off – manual tasks in loading and unloading
2. Chain reactions – risks, responsibilities and safety systems in the supply chain
3. Trucks in transit – working in and around trucks.

WHSQ is committed to working with industry to develop safety solutions, because after all the most important reason for making your workplace safe is not at work at all. Work safe. Home safe.

For more details on the summit, visit www.worksafe.qld.gov.au or call the Workplace Health and Safety Infoline on 1300 369 915.