09/15/2023
REMINDER!!
BE SAFE WHEN ENTERING & EXITING TRUCKS
According to a report from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, truck drivers had more non-fatal injuries than any other industry. More than half of those were sprains and strains caused in part by slips and falls while getting in and out of trucks.
To reduce or prevent such injuries, it is recommended to use the “three point of contact system” when entering or exiting a truck. The three points of contact system means three of four limbs are in contact with the vehicle at all times (two hands and one foot, two feet and one hand, etc.).
“Three points of contact form a triangle of anchor points, which changes in form when mounting or dismounting a vehicle,” says Accident Fund WorkSafe Manager of Technical Services David Hintz. “Drivers have the most stability when the centre of the triangle is closest to their center of gravity. Sideways movement should be avoided since it creates an imbalance of weight distribution.”
Here are some helpful tips for entering and exiting a truck:
• Always use the three-point-of-contact system
• Mount and dismount only when the equipment is stopped
• Don’t ever jump off a truck - landing exerts 12 times your body weight on your joints.
• Take extra care in wet, snowy, or icy weather.
• Don’t carry items in your free hand - place them on the vehicle floor and retrieve them once you’re on the ground.
• Don’t use tires or wheel hubs as a step surface.
• Never use the door frame or door edge as a handhold
Source: Accident Fund
