A subsidiary of German intralogistics giant Jungheinrich Group has been fined $150,000 for breaching workplace health and safety (WHS) laws in New South Wales. The company, Jungheinrich Australia Pty Ltd, was convicted after it returned forklifts to service with safety systems disabled, exposing workers to serious risks.

The NSW District Court found that Jungheinrich technicians had fitted bypass plugs to forklifts at Prysmian Australia’s Liverpool site, allowing the machines to be operated without a driver seated in the cabin. This created a significant risk of workers being struck or crushed by “driverless” forklifts, Judge David Russell said.

The bypass plugs were intended solely for maintenance tasks, enabling technicians to run forklift engines without sitting in the driver’s seat. However, they were left in place after servicing, rendering the seat safety systems inoperable.

“Jungheinrich’s primary responsibility was to ensure forklifts were returned with all safety features operational,” Judge Russell stated. “The potential consequences of a seven-tonne forklift colliding with a worker are very serious.”

The breaches occurred despite the company providing training on removing bypass plugs post-servicing. SafeWork NSW investigators found that technicians at the Prysmian site could not recall receiving clear instructions on this requirement.

Jungheinrich pleaded guilty to breaching sections 19(2) and 32 of the NSW Work Health and Safety Act 2011. The company admitted its actions exposed workers to risks of serious injury or death and consented to undertake a WHS project as part of its penalty.

Under the court orders, Jungheinrich will spend up to $30,000 producing an educational animated video highlighting the risks of disabling safety systems and the importance of ensuring forklifts are returned to service with all safety features intact. SafeWork NSW will oversee the project and its promotional strategy.

Following the incident, Jungheinrich implemented stricter supervision at the Prysmian site and instructed technicians to verify all safety systems before returning forklifts to service.

Judge Russell noted that while Prysmian also held WHS responsibilities, Jungheinrich’s “superior expertise” placed greater accountability on its technicians. He reduced the original $200,000 fine by 25% due to Jungheinrich’s early guilty plea.

This case underscores the critical importance of workplace health and safety compliance and serves as a reminder that neglecting WHS duties can have severe consequences for both workers and organisations.