Worker convicted over death of colleague crushed to death by forklift load at workhouse near Geelong, Victoria

A worker has been convicted over the death of his colleague who was fatally crushed by a forklift load at a warehouse near Geelong. Michael Gorman, 53, pleaded guilty in the Geelong County Court for failing to care for the health and safety of another person who might be affected by his acts in the workplace. A WorkSafe spokesman said Gorman and his colleague were using a forklift to remove a steel rack with multiple pieces of sheet metal that weighed more than a tonne from a shed in the maintenance area of their Lara workplace in October 2021. The court was told Gorman was operating the forklift on an uneven surface when the unbalanced load tipped and fatally crushed the other worker, who was acting as a spotter nearby. A WorkSafe investigation found Gorman obtained a forklift high-risk licence two years earlier, which required him to pass an assessment that demonstrated he understood operating a forklift near people was a safety hazard. The investigation revealed he had also completed a forklift safety induction at the workplace less than 12 months before the fatal incident, which included a directive that people should remain three metres away from an operating forklift. Gorman admitted he failed to take reasonable care by operating the forklift with an unsecured and unstable load, without ensuring the other worker was a safe distance away. WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin said the death was a tragic reminder that everyone had a responsibility to keep each other safe at work. “It is unquestionably up to employers to provide a safe working environment, but workers must ensure their own actions do not place anyone else in a workplace at risk of harm,” Mr Jenkin said. “This worker had the required training, qualifications and experience to know how to better keep his colleague safe and now has to live with the terrible consequences of not doing so.” Mr Gorman was convicted and received a six-month good behaviour bond.