Lost time injuries occur to drivers, operators and mechanics working with mining & construction equipment. Approximately 1/3 of these injuries are from getting on or getting off the machine. Bumps, cuts, sprains, fractures and fatalities occur when personnel jump down, slip, trip, or fall while attempting to climb onto or dismount.
What we do:
- Recommend 3 points of contact, a triangle is formed with workers body is being center of mass.
Dependent on manufacturer’s design, sufficient handholds and footholds should be provided and be of skid resistant materials on steps, but I believe you’ve many times noticed that additional modification is required.
My suggestions:
- Vertical ladders need to be avoided wherever possible. Some companies modify the stairs.
- The bottom step of primary access should not be more than 400mm from ground.
- Flexible bottom stairs need to be considered as hazard. Sometimes we lose our balance.
- Handrails should be in a continuous length, if there is a no proper handrail, why we can’t install handrails.
- Walkway and stair steps should be non-slip and self-cleaning.
- Chains should not be used as guard; actually it is not hard barrier.
- While mounting and dismounting, employee should face to stairs.
- Park the vehicle at clean parking area only because an employee may step on big object or stone and break his ankle while dismounting. Believe or not, I’ve had 2 LTIs back in 2012 related to this root cause.
- If possible provide backpack for employees, because operator or driver brings their food bag (torch, drink, checklist etc.) on a hand and only 2 points are used for contact.
- Remember, not only operator, a mechanic works on machinery as well. Does he have proper stairs and platform to engine, radiator or higher areas?
- In emergency, if engine or tire catches a fire, how to evacuate the operator safely? May be escape chute design can be considered.
Picture #1: Modified stairs (it has hydraulic motor to lift the stair up when equipment moves, as you see, manufacturer’s vertical stair is barricaded.)
Picture #2: Modified engine bay work platform for a mechanic.
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Ganjiguur Bukhbat
TheSafetyPoster.com
