Falls from machinery

Accident example 1

A worker suffered head injuries as a result of falling whilst replacing overhead pipe work. He was standing in a bucket attached to the fore-end loader of a tractor. The pipe he was holding slipped and fell onto the mechanical trip lever of the loader. The bucket tipped and he fell over 2 m to the ground where he hit his head on a pallet.

Accident example 2

A farm worker fell 4 m from the forks of a materials handler. He was working in a potato store removing temperature probes for checking. As the vehicle was manoeuvred into position he leant out of one side of the box causing it to fall from the forks to the concrete floor below.

Accident example 3

A mechanic had completed a routine service and repair on a drill rig. He had collected his hand tools together and was getting down from the rig. With tools in each hand he stepped down from the drill rig platform and onto the vehicle tracks, he then stepped across to the access steps. The steps fell as he stepped on to them and he fell to the ground between the steps and the drill rig.

Accident example 4

A worker was crushed to death when she fell from a cage which was being lifted by a fork-lift truck. Her employer received a 12 month sentence, which was suspended for two years, and was convicted of two health and safety offences and fined £10 000.

Precautions

• Only use ladders for short duration tasks in exceptional circumstances. Use other work equipment where possible (eg a tower scaffold or cherry picker).
• Only fit working platforms to suitable machines.
• Consult the manufacturers/suppliers information to ensure that the truck and working platform are compatible.
• Only use working platforms on machines which have a tilt/trip 'lock' to prevent accidental tilting of the platform.
• Only use properly constructed working platforms fitted with full edge protection.
• Ensure that any gates in the edge protection open inwards, upwards or sideways, and return automatically to the closed position.
• Never work from ordinary pallets, buckets or forks.
• Ensure that working platforms are properly fitted to trucks.
• Fit suitable screens/guards to platforms to prevent access to any dangerous parts of the mast or boom.
• Always ensure someone remains at the controls of the truck while the platform is in a raised position.
• Make sure that trucks/platforms have been thoroughly examined by a competent person within the last six months (under LOLER see INDG290 - Lifting equipment at work: A brief guide)
• Make sure the maximum number of people to be carried, and the safe working load, are displayed on the platform.