Hazard Alert

Safe Foot Placement

A machine operator was walking to his machine during shift change. He walked through some limbs and over some felled (bunched) trees to get to the machine. As he walked along the bole of a large spruce tree, he tripped on a stub and lost his balance. As he fell, he grabbed a tree limb for support, which resulted in a pinched tendon in his left shoulder.

The operator selected a walking route to the machine necessitating he climb over or through felled trees, increasing the risk of sustaining a slip, trip, or fall.

Recommendations to Prevent a Recurrence

Select a clear route (free of obstacles) when walking to or from a machine to roadside. Avoid walking on the bole of felled trees. When an obstacle cannot be avoided, always be sure of foot placement, “Never put your feet where your eyes haven’t been.”