All five of our most severe injuries this year in the UK have involved LGV Drivers or Mobile Equipment Operators, with four of the five resulting from slips, trips and falls.

This Video Safety Alert includes footage of one of these incidents, where a driver fell as he got out of his cab; it clearly highlights the potential severity of a fall when getting on / off a vehicle, with concerns the driver lost consciousness momentarily as a result of the fall and suffered fractures to both collarbones.  You can watch the video here:  Safety Alert Video - Driver falls from cab (761 downloads)

The investigation concluded that since the step configuration was different to other vehicles he had driven, the driver may have lost his footing when he thought he had stepped down to the ground but was still on the cab steps.  If the driver had maintained three points of contact, with a firm grip of the grab rails, rather than the steering wheel, he may have been able to prevent such a serious fall.

Please review the Alert with your teams, particularly drivers and mobile equipment operators, highlighting the need to “Get a Grip” and maintain three points of contact when getting on / off vehicles… not using the steering wheel as a hand hold, or carrying anything at the same time.  It is important that drivers and operators familiarise themselves with the configuration of steps and grab rails before operating different vehicles.

We can all help avoid this type of incident, if we STEP IN and remind anyone we see who is not maintaining three points of contact to “Get a Grip”, whether that’s when getting on / off a vehicle, using ladders, or on steps and stairways.

Please let’s all look after ourselves and each other.

Before starting any new task always STOP, THINK…& CHECK it is safe, and always STEP IN if you see anything unsafe.