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Safety Alert: Mobile Loading and Haulage Equipment Emergency Escape

From 1985 through 2016 there have been 370 accidents involving mobile loading and haulage equipment that caught fire. Of the 370 accidents there have been 4 fatalities, 156 lost time accidents, 10 restricted duty only accidents and 200 all other accidents. The most recent happened on March 4, 2016 when an excavator engine compartment caught fire and a 75 year old equipment operator jumped 14 feet to the ground hitting his head. The normal egress was a ladder along the engine compartment and the alternate escape was a knotted rope.

Follow Best Practices to Prevent Accidents

  • Establish and keep current an Escape and Evacuation Plan for exiting equipment in the event of a fire as per § 77.1101. Train employees on contents of this plan.

  • Rigid and substantially constructed stairs or ladders attached to the equipment at both ends for an alternate escape is recommended. These can provide safe and quick escape to the ground while minimizing the risk of falling from an elevation in a panic situation. Recommendations for primary and secondary access systems of standard walkways, stairs, and ladders are contained in International Standard Organization (ISO) 2867.

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