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Safe movement of vehicles in the workplace

Work-transport related accidents are alerting increasing in workplaces
that lead to either fatalities or serious injuries to the workers.

Significant damages to the plant, equipment, infrastructure, and other

properties also happen due to vehicle accidents so TRANSPORT
SAFETY very important.

Workplace transport:
Workplace transport is a type of vehicle transport used in workplace .it
includes the range of vehicles like cars, vans, Lorries, trucks, cranes,
and so on.
Road traffic laws cover associated risk for vehicles driven on public
roads in more details then general health and safety law so that the
vehicles that are driven on public roads are not usually classified as
workplace transport.

In some cases, public roads can be considered as temporary workplace

when the vehicle is being loaded or unloaded on a public roads
adjacent to a workplace.

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AND RESPONSIBILITY

Hazards and risk from workplace transport

operations:
Hazards may arise from

 Loss of control due to mechanical failure or environmental

reasons
 Overturning –laterally or longitudinally
 Collisions with other vehicles
 Collisions with pedestrians and fixed objects
 Driver (human error) error/failure may cause or compound
each of these hazards
 Discussed below are the hazards and risks that happen due to
vehicle movement at the workplace.

Typical hazards relating to vehicle movement

accident by transport at the workplace can happen due to several
reasons. the carelessness of the driver, harsh driving errors, workplace
infrastructure that restricts free vehicular movements, lack of warning
signals or direction sings while taking a reverse or changing directions,
mechanical failures in machines and environmental factors.in addition,
risks related to automobile motion include the following:

Driving too fast

Hazards due to driving too fast are typically connected to driver errors.
Drivers may drive a
vehicle too fast for the following reasons.

 To finish the work within a limited time

 Work pressure
 Aiming at incentives by doing the work quickly and performing
additional works during the time allotted
 To get back home early from work
 The inexperience of the driver.
The impacts of driving too fast are aggravated by movements
such as the following

 Taking sharp turn especially around bends on roads

 Steering away to avoid obstacles on the road
 Unequal ground level
 Sloping surfaces around bends
This unusual movement may cause the loads to relocate,
overturn the vehicle or skid away from the vehicle‘s path.

Reversing: Reversing accidents results in several hazards such a loss

of injuries, damages to vehicle, equipment and premise collision due to
reversing vehicle occurs when.

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 Field of vision of the driver to the rear of the vehicle is limit.

 The absence of rear-vision devices.
  Lack of reversing alarm to warn workers in proximity to the
reversing vehicle.
 Incompetency of the drivers.
Avoid reversing using the one-way system, drive through
system and roundabout.
If reversing cannot be avoided:

 Create longitudinal guides or Latrell white lines on the ground

to reverse and position
the vehicles with ease.
 Enhance and transform the existing reversing areas.
 Ensure that there is adequate space for reversing.
 Always ensure reversing is free from obstructions.
 Equip fixed mirrors and other visibility aids to enhance visibility
around the vehicle.
 Seek assistance from a trained banksman if required.
 Install aids like CCTV and reversing sensors in the vehicle to
effortlessly reverse the vehicle.

Banksman
Vehicle reversing assistant
Banksman is the common term used for a vehicle reversing assistant.
Banksman guides and signals the driver to accurately position and
access the vehicles. Banksman is mostly employed during the loading
and unloading process.

Following things should be considered while employing

banksman

 Banksman should wear suitable high-visibility clothing.

 Should be taught to place themselves in a safe position during
vehicle reversing.
 The driver must be the instruction to stop the vehicle
immediately if the banksman disappears from view.
Silent operation of machinery

A vehicle that operates silently may also pose a certain hazard to the
pedestrians. The
pedestrians may not hear the movement of such vehicles in time to
avoid an impact.
Not only automobile engines but also auxiliary machinery and devices
such as loaders, cranes, and refrigeration plant etc. may also pose the
same threat on pedestrians.

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The situation may worsen if the workers are wearing ear muffs are
working in the heavy nose area.

Case in point
A silently operating for-lift truck that brings materials to the workplace
where pedestrians and vehicle work together hits workers who crossed
its path with delivery parcels in hands.

Poor visibility
The driver’s vision may be obstructed mainly by the loads placed on
the vehicle.it may be
difficult for the driver to look around the loads at the pedestrians or
other obstructions on
the road to avoid impact.

Other occasions that obstruct the driver’s vision and lead to a hazards
are given below:

 The height of the drivers above the road may make it difficult
or the driver to stop
down and look for obstruction of pedestrians.
 Environmental conditions like fog, mist, dust, snow, rain etc.
May present an unclear view ahead.
 Light charging from approaching vehicles directly into the
driver’s vision may leave the driver with a momentary
blindness.
 The vehicle moving from brightened area to a dimmer one that
leads to poor visibility.
  Obstructions or objects stacked on the roadside, obstruct the
view of the pedestrians to see the approaching vehicle.

Case in point
A loaded vehicle started from a factory to deliver the load to another
location at night. As the vehicle plunged into the rainy night from
brightly illuminated indoors, the driver was left
with a momentary blindness.

He didn’t have enough time to notice a careless pedestrian

who chanced to cross the road right then. The unfortunate pedestrian
lost his life to the truck.

Overturning
Various circumstances may cause a vehicle to overturn. Some
of the reasons are listed below,

 Uneven loading or overloading of the vehicle

 Unstable loads that move while the vehicle is in motion
 Turning the corners with excessive speed
 Obstetricians on the road
 Driving on the sloppy region or close to edges and
embankments
 Inappropriate tire pressure
 Applying breaks all of a sudden
 Irregular roads with bumps and holes

Collisions with other vehicles, pedestrian, and fixed objects

This is an unexpected category where anyone carelessly appearing out
of a turn, be it
another vehicle and people could encounter a fast-moving vehicle.
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SAFETY

Moving vehicle may also collide with fixed objects on the road due to
environmental conditions. The other factors that result in collisions are
as follows,

 Using same entrance /exit for vehicle and workers

 Lack of warning signs on the truck of the vehicle
 Inadequate lighting
 Poor identification of fixed objects
 Lack of safe crossing points on roads
 Poor maintenance of vehicles
 Excessive speed of vehicles
 Driver’s unfamiliarity with the site
 Traffic and congestion

Typical Non-movement related hazards

Loading and unloading in a vehicle may cause falling object hazards
particularly when the
vehicles are overloaded or used to load materials at a height.

Chances are high that the loaded materials may dislocate during travel
and become unstable while unloading, risking the lives of workers who
are transferring the material from the vehicle to the workplace.

The following hazards may also happen while loading and unloading a
vehicle,

 Working at the top of the vehicle to load and unload goods

may cause a falling hazard
as workers may lose awareness of the edges and fall over.
  Poor environmental conditions like strong winds may increase
the risk of falling while working at heights.
 Unloading vehicles on sloppy regions cause the risk of slips and
rollover hazards.
 Heavy loads may collapse and fall over the workers causing
severe injuries.

Loading and Unloading Areas

Loading and unloading areas should satisfy the following
requirements in order to prevent hazards

 Carry out loading and unloading activities only at the

designated places.
 Ensure that the area which is meant for loading and unloading
activities is free from traffic, pedestrians, potholes, and debris.
 Make sure that the overhead power cable is at the appropriate
distance from the ground and ensure that there is no chance of
contacting with live overhead electric lines while undertaking
loading and unloading activities.
 Provision of sanitary, resting and refreshment facilities to
comfort the drivers and load man.

Loading bay
Loading bay so an area of the building which is specifically meant to
transferring of good either from vehicles or to vehicles.

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It should have at least one exit point from the lower level. And also it
should integrate bolthole or refuse to avoid being struck or crushed by
a vehicle.

Preventing vehicles moving while in the loading bay

The vehicle should be prevented from moving during the
process of loading and unloading so as to reduce
1. ‘DRIVEWAY’ incident- this happens when the vehicle moves away
from the loading
bay unexpectedly during the loading or unloading process. This result
in serious
consequences situations.
2. ‘CREEP’ incident- this occurs due to the creation of gaps between
the loading bay and
the vehicle. This also leads to dangerous situations.

Following are the way to prevent vehicles from moving during

loading and unloading at loading bays.

 Use of wheel chocks (I.e. wedges) to avoid accidental

movement of vehicles.
 Equip four-wheel braking systems.
 Install alarm systems to alert the driver of applying the
handbrake.
 Integrate security systems into the vehicle to avoid
unauthorized access.
 Instruct and train the driver about the safe work practices and
safe system of work.
 Loading vehicle safely
Following things may be considered for distribution of loads
safely on the vehicle:

 Clear instructions and training help to distribute the loads

safely on the vehicle.
 As uneven load makes the vehicle unstable, spread the loads
as evenly as possible.
 Ensure that the loads are arranged in the way they do not slide
around.
 Make sure that the loads are placed as close as possible to the
bulkhead or headboard.
  Avoid loading to the back of the trailer to avoid vehicle from
rolling backward.
 Make sure that the vehicle is not overloaded.
 Load in the way that will allow for efficient unloading

Securing loads
Securing loads using ropes, webbing or chains on a vehicle may
present the following hazards:

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Load Securing Equipment

  Falling from height- while securing loads the workers had to
work on top of the
vehicles which may present a risk of falling.
 Slipping hazards- the vehicle may be contaminated by dirt, oil
or other particles split from previous loads, which may present
slip hazards.
 Weather conditions- poor environmental factor may present a
risk of slipping and falling while securing loads on heights.
 Manual handling hazards- it takes considerable effort to secure
the loads to vehicles which may lead to a risk of strains and
body pains.
 Falling object hazard- during the securing process unstable
loads may move or roll over and fall from the height workers.

Sheeting
The process of protecting the loads on vehicle top with a sheet or net
presents the hazards similar to that of the securing process.

Manually rolling the sheet over the loads present manual handling
hazards and working on top of vehicles presents slipping and falling
hazards.

Coupling
Vehicles when connected to trailers or other towed devices can present
hazards like hitting, crushing and running over while on the move.

When the jaws involved in coupling are not locked properly the trailer
may lead to vehicle runaway or trailer rollaway situations which may
cause serious injuries to the drivers or other people around.

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Another notable hazard is that sometimes the trailer may overturn due
to gradients on the ground.
Vehicle maintenance work

Numerous hazards are associated with vehicle maintenance work. All

vehicles are subject to wear and tear and unless maintained at regular
intervals, this wear and tear will eventually result in unsafe vehicles
and vehicle breakdowns.

Regular planned maintenance is a critical step in preventing this.

Effective vehicle maintenance practices result in a vehicle that is safe
and fit for purpose and not likely to cause injury to people using it or
affected by its use.

Effective maintenance routines also make sure that vehicles are in

roadworthy condition on a year-round basis and not just prepared
once a year for their annual roadworthiness test.

Control measure for safe workplace transport operations

Appropriate safety measures should be taken by the management to
reduce the risk and
improve the safe movement of the vehicles.

The risk presence by the vehicle movement must be identified and

analyzed taking account of persons at risk, the adequacy of existing
controls, and the need for further control measures.

The review of past accident and incident may identify potential

hazards, e.g. unsafe condition in certain areas of the site, vehicle type,
training issues, etc.

Safe site
The following factors should be addressed to ensure the safety
of the site.

Suitability of traffic routes

The roads and footways must be suitable for all the vehicular types
used within the work
site. This means that the workplace must be suitable even for the
large vehicle to turn
around corners and there must be enough space for vehicle reversing.

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Such careful design and construction of workplace can reduce the risk
considerably. Some general principles of the safe site are listed below:

 Enough space must be there to accommodate the traffic

entering and leaving the
worksite
 Separate entrance and exit for vehicles and pedestrians.
 Pedestrians must strictly be warned not to access the vehicular
path.
  Zebra crossing must be located for pedestrians crossing.
 The suitable barrier must be installed to indicate danger spots.
 Warning systems or alarms should be placed at the entrance,
exit, and crossing to warn the pedestrians about vehicle
entering the site.
 Sufficient lighting should be provided on the traffic routes for
clear visibility
 Consideration should be given to vehicle weight and height
restriction on routes- signs, barriers and weight checks may be
necessary.
 Traffic routes should be clear of obstruction, damages, pit etc.
 Traffic routes must clearly be marked and signed, including
directional information, one way systems, speed limits and
other factors necessary for road safety.
 Marking of storage area and clear direction sign can avoid
unnecessary impacts, especially while reversing
 Traffic management system should be in place to control the
movement of vehicles.
 The vehicle path should not lie close to:- dangerous items such
as chemicals and explosives, unprotected edges from which a
vehicle may fall, unprotected feature such as scaffolds which
may collapse and present a threat if accidentally hit by the
vehicle.
 As traffic also includes the pedestrians, consideration should
be given to the people working at the site, the job being
carried out and the equipment they might use.
 Large vehicle and vehicles with drawbar trailers may need a
wider area to take a turn so the site should be designed to
provide sufficient area to turn safely.

Management of vehicle movements

Delivery management- to prevent too many vehicles arriving for
deliveries at the same
time Visiting driver management- visiting drivers may be made aware
of the side rules, welfare
facilities and workplace layout so that they may act by the principles of
the worksite and
may know the routes to the place they need to go.

Organized vehicle managements- loading and Unloading process can

take place after the
pedestrians enter/exit the work site at the start and finish of work.

Restricting vehicle reversing wherever possible- a one-way system can

be adopted.

Turning management- allot large area a turning point to allow larger

vehicles to turn and drive forward without reversing.

Authorized reversing assistant/ signaler can be employed to assist with

vehicle reversing
when safe reversing is not effective.

Rules and procedure related to vehicles movement:

 Speed limit signs

 Traffic slowing measures- speed bumps and rumps
 Signs indicating the direction of travel
 Area of loading and unloading must clearly be marked
Clear marked location for parking vehicles.
Systems for inspection and maintenance of vehicles must be carried
out on a regular basis.

Preventing vehicles from overturning

Most of the workplace transport accidents are caused by vehicles

overturning.

 Avoid overloading the vehicles.

 Plan out suitable routes to avoid driving on step slopes uneven
or slippery surfaces, curbs, and sharp turns.
  Ensure that the vehicles only are driven on the surface they
are designed for
 The speed of the vehicle should be based upon the task, load,
and ground conditions.
 Ensure even distribution of loads across the whole vehicle.
 Carry out periodic inspection and regular maintenance of the
vehicles.
 Make sure that the persons operating the vehicle is competent
and skilled.

Environment considerations
 Good lighting facilities either natural or artificial.
 Maintaining a suitable standard of lighting to enable safe work
activities.
 Avoid area of glare or shadow to see a person or vehicle
clearly.
 Maintain the light level within and outside the work area, as for
as possible.
Gradients such as ramps may pose specific hazards to the plant and
vehicles operation.
According to the loading and the wheelbase the vehicles have their
own limit of stability. So when vehicles encounter a rump chance of
overturning are high. This condition could be reduced by,

 Avoid step gradients

 Gradients should be as gentle as possible
 Rump and gradients should be clearly marked.
Changes in level also present a risk overturning. There is also a risk of
falling at edges there for proper barrier should be provided at edges.

Loads may become unstable when the level changes from normal to a
sloppy one. So care must be taken in loading and Unloading of
vehicles.
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The surface condition of the roads may be contaminated by chemicals

or oil used in industries
and factories.

Sometimes the surface may be slippery and vehicles may not break
effectively in such surfaces. For the vehicles to pass without difficulty,

 Proper drainage system must be provided for the contaminant

to escape through it
 Regular cleaning of the surface.
 Floor condition should be kept clean of spills, litter, snow, and
ice.

Segregating of pedestrians and vehicles

Vehicle delivery routes must always be segregated from those
accessed by the pedestrians.

 Wherever possible physically segregated the pathways of

vehicles from pedestrians.
 Meshed handrails, doors, barriers, and fencing could be used
to separate the vehicle pathways from the pedestrians
pathway.
 Constructing raised pedestrian walkway for pedestrians safety
where physical segregation is not possible.
 Clearly mentioned entrance and exit routes for the general
movement of vehicles and parking areas.
 Providing safe crossing places for pedestrians to cross main
traffic routes.
 The crossing places must be properly marked.
 Monitoring speed limit of vehicles wherever pedestrians
activities are high.
  Building bridges and subways for pedestrians to use which is
more secure than other ways.
Vehicle free zone- where only pedestrians move

Pedestrians free zones- where only vehicles movement allowed.

Preventive measures should be taken when segregation is not

practicable
Some industries may have situations where a separated path
for the vehicles and the pedestrians cannot be laid. In
such cases, the below-mentioned practices must be taken.

 Marking the work areas and indicating the main routes

followed by vehicles such as
forklift trucks.
 The worker can be made to wear high visibility clothing.
 Audible warning signals on vehicles while taking a reverse.
 Loud horn systems to be used at turns.
 Cameras and warning systems to indicate the presence of
pedestrians on the path.

Protective measures for people and structures

Barriers
Worksites with heavy moving vehicles must consider constructing
barriers to separate
people from impact with those vehicles. Vulnerable areas may require
concrete structures
to separate people from direct collision with heavy vehicles.

Signs

Signs are very much helpful to educate and alert the drivers and
pedestrians about the
workplace hazards. It should be
Marking sign and warnings on vehicle
This informs the people and the drivers about the operation, rules and
the hazard related to traffic and their routes.

Site rules
The pedestrians and driver also have to follow site rules properly.
Drivers must make sure
there is no presence of pedestrians before making a turn or a reverse.
They must learn to
use audible alarms whenever necessary.

Speed limits

The speed limit is determined based on the type of vehicle. The speed
limit varies for different types of vehicles. The maximum speed limit of
the vehicle is normally set by the local government.

Speed limit plays the crucial role in workplace transport. Speed limit
have to practice; otherwise, drivers have the intention to break the
speed limit in order to finish the tasks quickly.

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It is usually ineffective to set the same speed limit throughout the

whole site. Speed limits
need to be appropriate for:

 Road surface
 Type of load
 The layout of the route
 Hazards on the way
 Work that is carried on or clear the route
Parking
Parking area should
  Be clearly signposted and well lit
 Be firm, level and well drained
 Be free from obstruction
 Ensure clear visibility from all concerns
 Ensure pedestrians and vehicles are kept apart
Safe parking

Remember the following key things for safe parking:

 Break On
 Engine Off
 Key Out
 Equipment Safe
Parking on a slope

There are some safety precautions to be considered for parking

a vehicle on a slope.

 Use wheel chocks

 Apply hand breaks
 Leave vehicle in gear ( if it is safe to do so )
Ensure that the parked vehicle facing up or down the slope,
not sideways on.
Overhead power lines

Direct contact or indirect contact with overhead power lines lead to

serious injuries and in
some cases even to death.

To prevent vehicles from coming into contact with overhead lines, it is

always better to avoid working near the overhead line.

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If there is no alternative, work can be carried out in close proximity to
live overhead lines with appropriate control measures.

Following control measures should be adopted if a vehicle

makes contact with overhead power lines

 Always wear pipes

 Leave the vehicle by jumping as soon as possible
 Never the touch the metallic part of the vehicle body
 Make sure no one else comes into contact with the vehicle
Immediately contact the local electricity supplier to shut off the

power
Members of the public

Members of the public are unaware of workplace hazards. To

safeguard the members of the public, following things to be considered

 Provision of separate with appropriate path or route to

segregate visitors from
vehicle traffic and work activities.
 Direct the visitors with appropriate signs and symbols.
 Ensure that the place they want to go place as close as the
possible e.g. shop, toilets, refreshments areas.
Safe vehicle

Following are the factors that need to be addressed to make sure that
a vehicle is risk-free.

 Suitable vehicle
 Maintenance/ repair of vehicles
 Visibility from vehicles/ reversing aids
 Driver protection and restraint systems