Road vehicle use is a significant cause of workplace injuries and fatalities in Tasmania.
Between 2009 and 2018, 54% of work-related deaths for workers in Tasmania involved a vehicle, and 64% of these occurred on a public road.
Between 2014 and 2018, there were 36 work-related deaths, and 16 of these involved vehicles. Of this 16:
- 12 were workers and 4 were bystanders
- 10 of these happened on a public road.
For workers such as transport drivers and couriers, their vehicle is their workplace.
PCBU responsibilities
If you’re a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU), you must manage the risks to health and safety of your workers. You must manage road traffic safety risks if your workers are engaged in travel on the road, regardless of who owns or operates the vehicle.
Designing safe systems of work, using safe and fit-for-purpose vehicles, and adopting safer routes through systematic journey planning should be considered.
Worker responsibilities
Workers must ensure they take reasonable care for their own and others' health and safety, and co-operate with any reasonable policies, procedures and instructions.