Truck Mixer Driver Fall
LOCATION:
READYMIX OR MORTAR PLANT
ACTIVITY:
TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS / DELIVERY
SUB ACTIVITY:
MOBILE PLANT
TITLE
Truck Mixer Driver Fall
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
WHAT HAPPENED
After a Driver had washed down the drum and rear chutes on his truckmixer he noticed the wash out hose on the inspection platform was unravelled.
Climbing up to the access platform, the driver coiled away the hose and then started to descend the ladder. During this descent his foot slipped off the 5th rung of the ladder (measured at 1.6m from ground level). As he fell to the ground, he landed heavily on his right foot, chipping a bone in his ankle; not only was he in some pain, being self employed he is now unable to work for several weeks.
ACCIDENT / INCIDENT IMAGES
Click image to enlarge
Position from where driver fell
LEARNING POINTS / ACTIONS TAKEN
• The Driver had washed down his vehicle, in the rain, using a detergent:
- are employees and contractors using the correct industrial cleaning agents to ensure work surfaces and equipment are suitably cleaned, without leaving a slippery film on the surfaces?
• As he descended the ladder, instead of holding onto both vertical hand rails he used the swing bar as one of his 3 points of contact:
- Are employees and contractors reminded of the need to GET a GRIP, and maintain three secure points of contact when using ladders and stairways? Is this monitored by site supervision? In this case, the Driver relied on the self closing gate as a point of contact. Have we explained that hinge mechanisms on self closing gates and swing bars should not be used as hand holds? They can easily fail and, as happened in this incident, can cause a person to lose their grip and fall.
• The swing bar was bent out of shape causing it to close below its fixing bracket:
- do we have robust inspection systems in place to ensure this type of defect is identified and corrective action taken?
•The Driver’s safety boots were examined. The tread around the sides of the soles was found to be very worn and would have provided less grip in the wet conditions:
- does our 6 monthly PPE inspection system review the tread condition of safety boots worn by employees and do we monitor the condition of PPE worn by contractors?
• Records indicate that the driver had not received GET a GRIP training for over three years:
- Do we regularly remind employees and contractors of key health and safety messages, for example in this case by inviting them to attend Drivers Safety Workshops, the Drivers Handbook briefings and New Year back to work training sessions?
LEARNING POINTS / ACTIONS IMAGES
Click image to enlarge
Renactment showing driver holding swingbar
LOCATION:
READYMIX OR MORTAR PLANT
ACTIVITY:
TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS / DELIVERY
SUB ACTIVITY:
MOBILE PLANT
Go Back to Search Critera