On 14 April 2022, SafeWork SA’s ‘April No-Falls’ media release identified truck drivers as the occupation most at risk of injury due to a fall from height.

Falls from vehicles

Data from 2021 shows that falls from vehicles have resulted in 16 notifiable serious injuries of which:

• 4 of these injuries were associated with accessing/exiting the cab
• 8 were associated with falling from the flatbed or trailer
• 2 were associated with falling from a ladder
• 8 falls resulted in head injuries
• 14 injuries were with falls from between 1 and 2 metres.

There has been a 69% reduction in the number of notifiable injuries from a worker falling from the cab, which we targeted in last year’s April No-Falls campaign.

However, there has been a 60% increase in falls from flatbed trucks and trailers.

Employers who use trucks as part of their business, need to ensure the risk of falls are managed to protect workers from serious injury. The simplest solution in preventing a fall is to remain on the ground during loading and unloading and use suitable lifting equipment.

SafeWork SA Executive Director, Martyn Campbell said “Whilst many employers and workers are heeding our safety messages, we still see serious injuries from falls from height in the transport industry.

“No matter what industry you work in, any work from height on any vehicle or apparatus can cause a serious and life changing injury. It can even be fatal”, said Mr Campbell.