WorkSafe’s investigation is ongoing. Information contained in this significant incident summary is based on evidence at the time of writing.

WorkSafe is investigating an incident, which resulted in a worker sustaining fatal injuries after being struck by a truck at a workplace. At the time of the incident, the worker was in close proximity to the front of the cab of the truck. The driver of the truck did not see the worker prior to setting off.

The truck involved in this incident had a non-original, reflective foil visor installed at the base of the windscreen.

Truck with non-original sun visor fitted at base of window

From inside the cab, trucks generally have restricted visibility (‘blind spots’) of some areas around the vehicle. These blind spots, which are much larger than in other vehicles, are a hazard to truck drivers and other people in close proximity to the trucks.

The installation of a non-original visor at the base of a truck’s windscreen increases the size of existing blind spots immediately in front of a truck. This increases the risk of exposure to the hazard of a moving vehicle to other people in the immediate vicinity.

WorkSafe’s investigation into the incident has established that similar non-original visors are widely used by drivers of heavy vehicles operating on public roads in Western Australia.

Under the Road Traffic Code 2000, a driver is required to have an uninterrupted and undistracted view [r. 263]. 

View from cab of truck with non-original sun visor fitted

Contributory factors

• The sun visor may have further restricted the view of the driver so that the worker was unseen when the vehicle moved off.
• The person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), including persons having control of the workplace, not identifying the potential hazards associated with the installation of non-original sun visors in the windscreen of trucks.

Actions required

• Educate workers of the potential dangers from installing non-original items to vehicles that may restrict the field of view and increase the size of blind spots.
• Conduct regular checks of the cab to ensure non-original items have not been added to a vehicle that may restrict the field of view of the driver.
• Encourage workers conducting maintenance on vehicles to alert the PCBU to the presence of such items when completing routine maintenance.
• Remind drivers to conduct a pre-start check before setting off to ensure as far as practicable that no persons are in the vicinity of their intended direction of travel. 

Further information

Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety

• Guidance Note – Safe movement of vehicles at workplace
• Safety alert 01/2015 – Vehicles and mobile plant causing deaths at workplaces