Content Coordinator, SHP Online

May 18, 2017

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Mentor urges fork lift operators to use three-points-of-contact rule

Mentor FLT Training is urging all work that operate fork lift trucks and those responsible for their safety to implement a three-points-of-contact rule when mounting and dismounting the vehicles.

Mentor (a health and safety training company) claims that by applying the rule to their general processes companies will be able to cut down on incidents related to dismounting and mounting vehicle by a considerable amount.

The three-points-of-contact rule is this:

When entering or exiting a truck, you should maintain three points of contact until you are either in your seat or standing firmly on the ground. This means one hand and two feet or two hands and one foot at all times.

Common sense

Mentor’s Technical Manager, Andy Cartwright had this to say: “Jumping from a lift truck is likely to put more distance between you and your truck and do so far quicker than simply stepping down, and could put you suddenly and unexpectedly in the path of another vehicle.”

By facing the truck to mount and dismount and maintaining three-points-of-contact, you can better protect yourself should you end up in harm’s way. With at least one hand and foot on the truck at all times you will have the ability to pull yourself into the truck’s cab and out of danger should a passing vehicle or obstruction come too close.

“It may sound like common sense, but when you see the number of injuries caused by slips and falls then it’s something worth emphasising. It’s simple advice and very easy to apply so if fork lift users keep it in mind when working, hopefully, we’ll start to see a reduction in falls from forklifts.”

Falls, slips and trips account for a third of all UK workplace incidents. Every year, 40 workers are seriously injured in falls from stationary and moving fork lift trucks.

The UK’s largest structural steel firm, Severfield (UK) Limited, was been fined £135,000 in 2016 following the death of a forklift truck driver,

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George Williamson
George Williamson
6 years ago

This has been a standard part of accredited forklift training for years. If this is not being taught as standard then you need to be taking a look at whoever is providing your training.

Ray Ezzard
Ray Ezzard
6 years ago

This advice has covered many vehicles through the years I am surprised that the information has not been passed on ie lorries buses etc