Fork Lift Truck Maintenance
LOCATION:
CONSTRUCTION/DELIVERY SITE
ACTIVITY:
MAINTENANCE & HOUSEKEEPING
TITLE
Fork Lift Truck Maintenance
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
WHAT HAPPENED
During recent planned maintenance on a fork lift truck (FLT), there was a need to service the mast. In order to carry out this task, the mast, which was a triple height mast, needed removing completely from the FLT. Two contract engineers from the FLT maintenance suppliers were in the process of removing the mast; this is completed by supporting the three sections with a sling before taking the retaining brackets away.
Unfortunately the engineers had only supported the top two sections, therefore when one of the engineers removed the retaining brackets the unsupported mast section fell onto his foot sustaining factures to 3 toes.
ACCIDENT / INCIDENT IMAGES
Click image to enlarge
Mast Removal
Click image to enlarge
Fallen Mast Section
LEARNING POINTS / ACTIONS TAKEN
A safe area away from the main site activities was cordoned off so that the engineers could work safely, a permit to work had been issued, but the task had not been discussed in detail with the contractor:
- Are permit to works issued by authorised trained personnel?
- Are permits used in conjunction with a pre job risk assessment.
- Are activities away from the normal working environments checked on a regular basis by the person in charge of supervising the activity?
Although method statements, risk assessments and safe systems of work for the task had been submitted, these were very basic and did not detail the task in full:
- When issuing a permit to work, is the task discussed in detail to capture all hazardous activities and control measures?
The engineer who was injured was less experienced and was being supervised by the senior engineer. The senior engineer failed to effectively supervise the task:
- Do supervisors understand the full extent of their responsibilities?
- Are they sufficiently trained to oversee all ongoing activities?
The task of removing a mast is a common occurrence on site and can be carried out safely, but on reviewing subsequent tasks, it was not suitable to carry out some of these safely on site:
- Do you investigate all tasks which contractors, such as mobile plant repairers, request to carry out on site?
- Do you assess whether the activities should be carried out off-site in a designated workshop?
- Where it is determined that the work can be done safely on site, do you ensure the correct equipment is available and that all necessary safety procedures are followed i.e. isolation, carried out?
LEARNING POINTS / ACTIONS IMAGES
LOCATION:
CONSTRUCTION/DELIVERY SITE
ACTIVITY:
MAINTENANCE & HOUSEKEEPING
Go Back to Search Critera