Vehicle hoist safety is in the spotlight for National Safe Work Month, with a SafeWork SA inspection campaign across auto workshops uncovering an alarming number of safety issues.

The audits of 72 workshops in metropolitan Adelaide and regional South Australia led to SafeWork SA inspectors issuing 315 compliance notices.

These included 19 prohibition notices, which prohibits the area or piece of equipment in question from being used until compliance is achieved.

More than 80 per cent of workshops – or 59 of the 72 inspected between – were found to have non-compliances. Two sites received 24 notices each.

Vehicle hoists and pressure vessels such as air compressors were a focus of the campaign.

The campaign followed a similar blitz in 2011, which was sparked after a worker was crushed to death beneath a vehicle hoist at an automotive workshop in Wingfield.

The design of vehicle hoists require workers to position themselves directly under suspended vehicles to carry out mechanical work. Vehicle hoists are required to be checked annually by an accredited person and must undergo a major service at least once every 10 years.

Pressure vessels are containers designed to hold fluids or gases at high pressures. They are required to undergo external checks by an accredited person annually and inspections of their internal parts every four years.
More than 100 of the statutory notices issued during the latest campaign related to vehicle hoists while more than 60 involved pressure vessels. The issues identified included:

• Vehicle hoists not being maintained in line with legislative requirements (7 prohibition notices, 54 improvement notices)
• Inadequate vehicle hoist operational instructions (23 improvement notices)
• Lack of evidence of vehicle hoist design registration
• Pressure vessel maintenance not complying with legislative requirements (6 prohibition notices, 31 improvement notices)
• Lack of evidence of pressure vessel design registration.

SafeWork SA inspectors have also been providing automotive workshop businesses with advice and information in relation to vehicle hoists and pressure vessels.

The vehicle hoist safety awareness campaign follows SafeWork SA issuing a record number of statutory notices across the 2023/24 financial year.

The regulator issued 6021 notices – a 57 per cent increase on the previous financial year.

Additionally, the regulator has conducted 6813 worksite visits, an increase of 33 per cent on the previous financial year.

This comes on the back of the Malinauskas Government significantly increasing resourcing for our workplace health and safety regulator, providing SafeWork SA more than $6.7 million in additional funding since coming to government.

This has led to an increase of 15 ongoing roles and provides support for the replacement of its case management system, which aims to provide the organisation with improved efficiencies and mobility.
Types of notices issued by year:

SafeWork SA has achieved these results through extensive training, targeted proactive compliance campaigns and stronger action against businesses, contractors and organisations with a poor compliance history.

The construction industry with the most notices (1754) followed by manufacturing (964) and retail (754). The education and training sector received 458 notices, health care and social assistance 185 and agriculture, forestry and fishing 184. The five most common causes for a notice were poor equipment service, maintenance and repair (829), managing risk to health and safety (773), managing risk of falls (586) and electrical safety (359).

Quotes

Attributable to Kyam Maher

Every worker in South Australia has the right to come home safely to their families and loves ones at the end of each day.

Within nearly 30,000 South Australians employed in the automotive industry, safety in this sector is crucial.

Mechanics put their lives in the hands of a vehicle hoist every time they work under a raised vehicle so it is critical that these vehicle hoists are properly maintained.

The Malinauskas Government has significantly increased resourcing for our health and safety regulator, providing SafeWork SA more than $6.7 million in additional funding since coming to government.

This is in stark contrast to the record of the former Liberal Government, which cut funding for SafeWork SA and slashed 35 full-time positions, losing dozens of experienced staff dedicated to education, training and the prevention of work injuries.

SafeWork SA now has more inspectors getting out there more often to inform, educate, enforce compliance and, if needed, expiate and prosecute.

The highest number of notices in a decade shows unsafe practices will not be tolerated.

Attributable to SafeWork SA Executive Director Glenn Farrell

The alarming number of notices issued during the auto workshop campaign illustrates the need for an increased focus on safety in the automotive industry.

It is disappointing and not acceptable to see so many instances where hoists are not being properly maintained.

Businesses have a work health and safety obligation to put the safety of their people first.

We will not hesitate to issue notices for unsafe practices, however, we prefer businesses to take a more proactive approach to keeping their workers safe.

Attributable to Motor Trade Association SA/NT CEO Darrell Jacobs

Vehicle hoist maintenance and safety is non-negotiable.

This National Safe Work Month, the MTA urges all automotive businesses make sure their hoist servicing is up to date.