Help prevent falls from equipment

Working on and around heavy equipment – including tractors, forklifts and bulldozers – can result in serious injuries and even death. One potential danger is falling from the equipment. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “falls or jumps from vehicles in normal operation, non-roadway” resulted in 910 injuries in the private industry in 2012. To help prevent these injuries, the Center for Construction Research and Training, also known as CPWR, recommends workers follow these tips:

• Before working with new equipment, read the operator’s manual.
• Check over the equipment and controls every day before beginning work.
• Always put the transmission in park, set the brakes and shut off the motor before working on equipment.
• Keep grease and fluids off walking surfaces to help prevent slips and falls, and use three points of contact (two feet and one hand or two hands and one foot) when entering and exiting equipment.
• Whenever possible, use equipment that has a rollover protective structure.
• Prevent rollovers by not traveling on – or working parallel to – steep grades, embankments or unstable soil.
• Fasten the safety belt.