Location:
High Way 53, North Georgia
Hazard:
On Tuesday, October 15, 2019 an IFP employee was traveling on Highway 53 when the fire extinguisher attached to his rack came sailing off. The driver was not aware of any bump or pothole that would have caused it. Trailing vehicles were far enough back that when the extinguisher came off it had time to land and roll to the side of road and it did not hit another vehicle.
Risk Potential:
The fire extinguisher could have been run over or gone through the windshield of a trailing vehicle. It could have caused a wreck or seriously injured/killed someone.
Proper prevention:
During the investigation IFP found that this could have been caused by several reasons.
- The extinguisher that was currently on the truck was not the original extinguisher and it could have not fit the clip properly,
- The person who installed the new extinguisher may have not closed the clip completely, or
- The clip could have come loose over time.
Lesson Learned:
If the fire extinguisher had been inspected as part of the monthly truck report it may or may not have been caught. Going forward, ALL extinguishers currently mounted on racks need to be moved to either the inside wall of the bed or mounted to the rear facing side of the toolbox (as shown below). This will prevent extinguishers from falling onto the roadway if they detach from their mounting bracket.
