Hazardous Situations, Emergency Procedures and Incident Response
Recognising hazardous situations
Typical LO emergencies: tip-over, load collapse, dropped load, collision with a person, hydraulic failure, fire, battery acid spill or explosion risk, powerline contact, and a person fallen from the platform. Recognise warning signs early: instability, unusual noises, hydraulic creep, smoke, burning smell, brake fade.
Emergency procedures
Know the site emergency plan, evacuation routes, assembly points, first aiders and emergency contacts. Know how to stop the machine, lower the platform by the emergency lowering function, isolate the battery and use the fire extinguisher. For powerline contact, stay in the cab or platform unless there is fire; if you must leave, jump clear and shuffle away without touching the machine and the ground at the same time. Warn others to stay back.
Incident response
Make the area safe, provide first aid, raise the alarm, preserve the scene, and report the incident and any near miss. Notifiable incidents (death, serious injury, dangerous incident) must be reported to the regulator by the PCBU. Cooperate with investigation and never alter the scene except to make it safe or help a casualty.
Tip-over
If a tip-over begins, do not jump. Brace, hold on, stay in the compartment with the harness attached, and lean away from the direction of the fall.
Worked example
A hydraulic hose bursts at height. Correct sequence: stop, hold on, keep the harness attached, use the emergency lowering function, evacuate the platform, isolate, tag out and report.
Trap
Answers that say jump from a tipping machine, or that touch the machine during a powerline incident.