Safety alert issued after lightning strike fatality of seasonal worker
NT WorkSafe has issued an important Safety Alert reminding businesses and workers of the risks associated with lightning strikes.
The Safety Alert urges all Top End businesses to take immediate steps to make sure they appropriately train and supervise their outdoor workers, and provide them with systems, which keep them safe.
The Safety Alert also reminds workers of the perils of lightning strike, and encourages them to follow their employer’s directions.
The inherent dangers of lightning strike are well known, and this information is especially relevant to Top End businesses who employ outdoor workers due to the frequency of thunderstorms between November and April during the build-up each year.
Prompted by the recent tragic death of a 34-year-old seasonal worker from Timor-Leste at a Top End mango farm, the Safety Alert outlines procedures employers should implement to managing the risk of lightning strikes, as well as actions workers should undertake if they are unable to shelter during a thunderstorm.