Cane safety a winner for harvesting company

With the 2008 Queensland Work Safe Awards almost upon us, let’s look at last year’s winner of category five, ‘Best solution to an identified electrical issue’.

Upper Haughton Harvesting Pty Ltd, of Giru North Queensland, was named winner of category five for simple, cost-effective solutions to minimise the risk of contact with overhead powerlines when sugar cane unloading and bin handling are undertaken at rail sidings.

A designated bin lift and tip point was introduced via signage and instruction to minimise the likelihood of accidental contact with powerlines on Blacks Road in Giru, Queensland.

Other controls, such as powerline flag markers were installed on the powerlines crossing the cane delivery point to ensure the powerlines were visible for high lift plant and machinery operations.

Additionally, controls were put in place to ensure cane haul-out vehicles and other vehicles accessing or exiting the rail siding from nearby Blacks Road did not collide, previously these vehicles could access the haul-out siding from any direction.

To ensure safety, haul-out drivers were instructed to enter the siding from one end and exit at the other, minimising risk of collision and minimising possible incidents involving vehicles using Blacks Road.