FACTS

Every year, many individuals are injured in a front-end loader accident when using the equipment at hazardous work sites.

1. Common types of front-end loader accidents involve:

• Running over victims while backing up
• Pinning the victim between the equipment and other objects
• Rollovers
• Crushing the victim when lowering the bucket

2. Front-end loader operators must be aware of the load capacity of the unit, balance and the degree of arc they are moving on. A mistake can result in the unit tipping over due to excess weight on one side when the load is lifted above a specific point on the horizontal axis.
3. A wheel loader or a shovel uses a controlled arm to put materials into a dumptruck, onto a conveyor belt or a feed hopper. Possible materials are: asphalt, demolition debris, dirt, feed, gravel, logs, raw minerals, recycled material, rock, sand, wood chips, etc. 

STATS

• Most STF injuries (63 percent of the 1,457 incidents examined) occurred when front-end loader operators were egressing from their equipment. 
• More than 75 percent of injuries occurred when the operator was on the ladder or steps.
• Losing contact with the ladder due to a misstep, slip or balance problem was a common cause of injury, contributing to 53 percent of the examined injury records.
• Environmental conditions often contributed to these STFs. Water, ice, snow, grease, oil and mud accounted for 21 percent of the identified contaminants on the equipment ladder when slips occurred.
• 78 percent of the front-end loader operators were injured on loaders with vertical ladders. Bottom rungs that are high off the ground (at heights greater than 14 to 16 in.) will also make ingress and egress more strenuous, because more effort is needed to ingress and the impact on the ground when egressing can be higher.
• More than 62 percent of the identified front-end loaders associated with STF injuries had ladders with at least one rung with a flexible rail.