Moving goods
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a warning to employers after a series of 9 deaths in just 83 days. The majority of the fatal accidents involved vehicles collecting or distributing waste materials.
The incidents this summer (15th June to 5th September 2012) are almost double the amount for 2010/11 and a fatality every 9 days is unacceptable by any measure.
Over 50% of the fatalities were related to skip hire and waste transfer operations.
Two of the nine were members of the public, one killed by a reversing vehicle and the second found in the compactor mechanism of a refuse collection vehicle.
5 involved a vehicle and/or vehicle movement.
Vehicle movement is one of the most significant risks in any business. Key areas of risk involve:
Large vehicles with zones of poor visibility.
Drivers unable to see into blind spots as the vehicle changes direction.
Reversing vehicles.
7 Top Tips to Protect Drivers and Pedestrians
The fundamental measures you should take is to segregate vehicle movement and pedestrians wherever this is practicable are:
Designate loading and unloading areas, manoeuvring zones and vehicle routes to ensure that vehicles and people are kept as far apart as possible.
Physical measures are better than soft controls. You should choose physical barriers that exclude personnel rather than site rules which can be easily ignored.
Use safety signs and local rules for the driver and others in the area.
Post speed limits at the entrance to a facility and reinforce with repeater signs throughout the site.
Use warning signs to indicate particular hazards such as fork lift trucks operating in the area or pedestrian crossing points.
Clearly define pedestrian routes.
Vehicle manoeuvring areas, reversing horns and parking areas can help to inform others and allow them to take appropriate action to avoid the risks.
Make Use of Driver Aids
There is also a wealth of driver aids available on the market that you can make use of:
From the basic, mirrors fitted to vehicles and positioned to provide a view into blind spots, to technology based controls including proximity warning devices such as reversing sensors.
Vehicle mounted cameras and CCTV systems also provide drivers with more information about hazards in the vicinity of the vehicle.
Mirrors positioned alongside vehicle routes can provide visibility into an awkward junction while cameras and CCTV can be used at loading bays or exits from buildings where the driver can be made aware of issues that would otherwise be hidden.
Use a banksman to aid the driver where blind spots cannot be avoided or controlled by other means. A banksman is an individual who monitors and informs the driver of activity in the blind spot areas. The safety of the banksman is paramount and both the driver and the banksman must be competent and able to effectively communicate.
Driver Information is Key to Preventing Injury
Keeping the driver aware of dangers and danger areas is key to ensuring you avoid accidents. Drivers should be trained to proactively manage risks. Advanced drivers will take into account three key risk factors:
What can be seen
What cannot be seen
What may reasonably be expected to develop.
For example, a driver exiting a warehouse might consider the individuals and activities that they can see within the warehouse. At the same time they should consider what cannot be seen, blind spots, the yard outside the warehouse or other areas on their route. Finally, what may develop, pedestrians emerging from behind racking or using the vehicle door, vehicles entering the warehouse, fork lift trucks changing direction without warning.
Proactive Management and Monitoring Performance of Vehicle Control Measures is Vital
The risk assessment provides the basis for your proactive management of vehicle risks. You need to consider your vehicles and those that may enter your site. Rules need to be made clear to drivers arriving at the site.
Managers and others should monitor vehicle operations and report or intervene where they identify problem areas.
Management controls that physically segregate pedestrians and vehicles are the most effective and require the least amount of management time to manage. Soft controls, such as the use of site rules are less effective and are often resource intensive.
Putting time into effective planning and risk control will help ensure that you do not face an investigation following a fatality or serious injury.
Heather Bryant, the HSE’s Operations Director and lead for the HSE’s waste and recycling strategy, said, “These fatal accidents should be a stark reminder for all employers to check their controls on use of vehicles and equipment, and to make sure that staff are properly trained and supervised. We will not hesitate to take action if we find evidence that lives are being put at risk.”
SOURCE: Safety Advisor
