"He suffered multiple fractures, in the chest and face..."

 

Proper load securement on delivery trucks is a hazard that we have only been forced to admit recently. Sadly, the Aluminium Plant Safety Blog post 2-3 fatalities a year resulting from improper load securement. We are ashamed to admit that after years and years of posting fatalities. We failed to realize this issue. It was only after a tragedy where a fire year old girl died did we finally focus on the issue that was before our eyes. Here is yet another incident that forces us to acknowledge a hazard that has befallen our industry.

He suffered multiple fractures, in the chest and face. The worker who was involved this morning in a serious accident at work in Italy on the external square of the (name omitted) aluminum company, in via (address omitted), will have at least forty days.

Driver run over by a load of metal trestles

This morning around 9.40 GZ, a 45-year-old truck driver was unhooking the safety straps that tied a load of metal trestles to his vehicle. During the operation, however, he slipped, falling to the ground and since, according to the first reconstructions of the incident, he was on top of the load, he fell ruinously together with the trestles themselves, which overwhelmed him. The man was immediately rescued by the staff who was collaborating with him, he was always conscious and alert but he reported very serious trauma.

Helicopter rescue on site: code red. 

The driver is an employee of another company in (a nearby town), and was transported by air ambulance to the Emergency Department of the Spedali Civili (town omitted), in red code. The technical staff of the Prevention and Safety in Workplaces Office of ATS, (local regional) headquarters, together with the (regional name) Local Police, went to the scene to start the investigation and clarify the dynamics of the accident. ATS technicians collected the testimonies of those present and seized some cargo securing equipment, as part of the judicial police investigation launched.

Still an accident at work 

Beyond the specific case, which will also be clarified by hearing the testimony of the injured party, in general the metal trestles that serve as support for the windows during transport on trucks are bulky and rather delicate equipment to be used in the correct way to ensure stability and balance. The arrangement of the load, whether it consists only of the trestles or is also inclusive of the slabs secured to them, as well as the handling of the elements, must be foreseen and regulated by a company procedure well known by the operators and strictly respected in its sequence. In fact, for the safety of employees, both the positioning in which they operate in the various phases the Head of the Hygiene and Safety at Work Specialized Area - Prevention and Safety in Workplaces UOC Management Office, Department of Hygiene and Health Prevention, ATS.

We pray that this trucker recovers fully from their injuries. No doubt the translation maybe off a little. But, from what we can surmise. The trucker was on top of a load that he had unstrapped. He then slipped and fell onto the load and rolled off the truck/trailer. As he hit the ground the load toppled off the trailer and buried him in metal. He is lucky to be alive. In the past we have used the analogy of dominoes. That a small incident can lead to a larger and then a larger incident. Like dominoes.

We wonder why the trucker was not using pipe stakes. All trucks that are being unloaded or loaded should have pipe stakes installed. That will mitigate material falling off during the strapping and unloading of the load.

 

These load securement incidents have resulted in fatalities in our industry. In response, some aluminium companies have gone above and beyond in establishing systems and procedures for truckers strapping and unstrapping loads. This hidden hazard is present in every aluminium plant that has yet to acknowledge this hazard. Which is obvious. Companies only realize the seriousness of this hazard when an incident occurs. Our sincere hope is that by posting this incident a reader will inspect their plant for similar hazards. If this hazard is found, we pray that action will be taken.

Please comment.