Today at the Monday Safety meeting Mark discussed the importance of the
3 Point Contact Rule.
Slips, trips and falls account for 20% of work injuries. This totals 13 million injuries per year. Climbing into and out of mobile equipment presents a common exposure to slips and falls. Inclement weather, greasy or broken steps and the rush of the work day all make this a serious exposure. Today we are talking about the three-point technique that is a simple and effective way to minimize the risk of falling.
When to use this technique:
If you are entering the cab of a forklift, climbing onto the bed of a truck or climbing into/onto any other piece of equipment.
- When you are climbing, at least three limbs should always be in contact with the equipment. The worker should be facing the equipment and take note that you cannot have three points of contact if you are jumping off or sliding out of the seat.
- Before you enter the equipment, place any objects on the seat. Log books, production schedules, bar code scanners, etc. Do the same when you exit. Leave the objects on the seat until you are off the equipment. In addition, always look before you exit!
Other points to remember:
- Wear footwear appropriate to the job.
- Keep the steps and grab rails clean.
- Make sure that all lights are working.
- Do not use the steering wheel or control handles as handholds.
Most slip and fall injuries are minor. However, 15,000 people die each year as a result of these incidents. Old habits are hard to break, but properly climbing into/onto/off of mobile equipment may prevent you from being a slip and fall statistic.
Have a safe work week everyone!
