Dangers of Unloading Background

1. Safety Alert 05/93 Committed to Safety • Dangers of Unloading • Background • A lineman incurred a serious injury during the unloading of power poles from a trailer on 26 July 1993. The worker was attaching lift lines to the poles when he lost his footing and fell backwards. He fell approximately 4 metres and landed head first. This is the fifth accident in two years involving a fall from trucks or trailers. The accident investigation revealed a number of hazards with the unloading operation to which the lineman was exposed. These included: Poor access to the top of the load; once on the load, the worker was exposed to a falling hazard; in the event of a fall, a restraining device was not available; other people were also exposed to the falling hazard. • Recommendations • Review work procedures for methods to eliminate exposure to falling hazards. Examine the possibility for conducting the unloading from ground level; • Contact suppliers to request loads to be placed on the truck or trailer to aid unloading; • If exposure cannot be eliminated, minimise exposure to falling hazards by restricting both the number of personnel exposed, the number of exposures and the duration of the exposure; • Ensure that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as hard hats are securely fastened. The use of chin straps is advised for personnel working in situations where the hard hat may be dislodged; • Consider the use of scaffolding with access ladders placed next to the trailer to serve as a safe working platform. • Learning Points • Simple tasks such as unloading have hazards that often go unrecognised. In the above instance, the lineman had been performing the task in the same way for 15 years. • Remember, supervisors have a key function in identifying hazards before the job begins