An employee learnt the hard way to take greater care when exiting machinery.
One operator was recently hospitalised with serious injuries after falling from his dozer.
The worker had finished stripping topsoil and stopped to clear-out dust near the radiators and intercooler. After opening the engine bay door his leg became caught on the footplate. He lost balance, fell backwards and suffered serious injuries to his leg and torso.
“He sustained a serious laceration to the left calf-muscle, requiring admission to hospital and corrective surgery. Injuries were also sustained to a shoulder and ribs,” MinEx said in a safety alert.
The health and safety council urged every employer to:
- access and egress on mobile plant is fit-for-purpose to ensure workers are not injured while entering and exiting machines
- identify potential fall from height hazards in risk assessment, and implement adequate and effective controls to minimise staff exposure.
Click here to download the full safety alert.
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