Death prompts telehandler warning
ACTIVITY:
MAINTENANCE & HOUSEKEEPING
ALERT STATUS:
High Potential
TITLE
Death prompts telehandler warning
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
WHAT HAPPENED
The British Health and Safety Executive has issued the following warning, which is endorsed by the MPA:
"QUARRY operatives are among those workers being warned not to operate variable-reach trucks, commonly known as telehandlers, if the right-hand side window is missing or broken, following a recent fatal incident in Scotland.
A 36-year-old man was apparently leaning through the broken window aperture of such a machine when he was crushed and fatally injured by the descending boom. It is the third such fatality in the last seven years."
ACCIDENT / INCIDENT IMAGES
LEARNING POINTS / ACTIONS TAKEN
The side window on telehandlers is designed to prevent operator access to the boom, but if the glass screen is broken or missing, operators may be tempted to lean out of the window aperture, for instance to adjust a mirror, and may inadvertently lower the boom on to themselves without being able to stop it.
The Health and Safety Executive has issued a Safety Notice recommending that machines in this condition be removed from use until the window has been replaced, and reminding users of their duty to carry out daily checks of the truck, which should include the condition of the cab windows.
LEARNING POINTS / ACTIONS IMAGES
ACTIVITY:
MAINTENANCE & HOUSEKEEPING
ALERT STATUS:
High Potential
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