An employee was carrying out a task using a forklift truck when he exited the cab forward facing, rather than backwards, and without maintaining three points of contact. He had placed his right hand on the grab handle and right foot on the lower step, when his right foot slipped off the step and landed on a wooden baton, twisting his right ankle.
The image below shows an operator exiting a cab forwards without using 3 points of contact.
Our colleague was taken to the local hospital, where tendon damage to his right ankle was diagnosed, resulting in a lost time injury (LTI).
KEY FINDINGS
Supervision - No continuous supervision in the yard to reinforce the STEP IN culture whenever unsafe behaviours increase the risk of injury.
Access and egress from forklift truck - Need to exit fork truck backwards, maintaining three points of contact, not followed despite Operator being aware of “Get a Grip” Safety Essential.
Safe system of work - Risk assessments and safe systems of work were reviewed within the last 12 months; however, they had not been discussed with Operatives and did not highlight the risk of egressing mobile plant in a forward manner.
Process - The production process requires the operator of the forklift truck to exit the vehicle for every lift, where there are timbers present, exposing the operator to trip hazards.
Housekeeping - The area was clear and well maintained