A 59-year-old man has died following a workplace incident at a factory in Truganina, in Melbourne’s west, on Wednesday 9 September 2026 — becoming the 32nd person to die in a Victorian workplace this year.

WorkSafe Victoria is investigating the incident, which occurred when a scissor lift toppled while the worker was using it to service an overhead bridge crane.

What Happened

The worker was in the basket of a scissor lift, conducting maintenance on an overhead bridge crane at the factory, when the crane unexpectedly began to move. The movement caused the scissor lift to become unstable and topple over. The worker was ejected from the basket as the lift fell and died at the scene.

Police attended and will prepare a report for the coroner.

Scissor Lifts and Overhead Plant: A Critical Interface

This incident highlights a risk that is too often underestimated: the interaction between elevated work platforms and other plant or equipment operating in the same space.

When a worker is elevated in a scissor lift or other mobile elevated work platform (MEWP), any unexpected movement in the surrounding environment — whether from adjacent machinery, overhead cranes, vehicle traffic, or structural shifts — can have devastating consequences.

WorkSafe Victoria and Safe Work Australia guidance on the safe use of elevated work platforms makes clear that employers must:

• Conduct a thorough risk assessment before any elevated work, taking into account all other plant and equipment operating in the area
• Isolate and lock out any overhead cranes, gantries or moving plant in the work zone before commencing elevated maintenance work
• Ensure the ground surface is stable, level and free from obstructions before positioning the lift
• Maintain exclusion zones around any elevated work platform in use
• Ensure workers are trained in the safe use of the specific type of MEWP being operated
• Never attempt to reposition or drive a scissor lift while the platform is raised, unless the machine is designed for that purpose

The lock-out/tag-out (LOTO) of nearby moving plant is a fundamental control measure that must be implemented before any worker is elevated near overhead equipment.

Victoria’s Mounting Toll

The Truganina death comes just six days before another Victorian fatality at a Tottenham warehouse, where a worker was crushed by a load dislodging from a reach stacker on 15 September. Two deaths in less than a week is a sobering reminder that serious workplace incidents are not statistical abstractions — they are happening now, in ordinary workplaces, to ordinary people.

WorkSafe Victoria can be contacted on 13 23 60 to report unsafe workplaces or request guidance on plant safety requirements.