Falls from Vehicles – Why do I need to take any action?

“Fall-from-vehicle incidents can cost your company a lot of money. In 2004/05, the human and economic cost of the fall from- vehicle incidents we know about was over £36.5 million” HSE, Preventing Slips, Trips & Falls From Vehicles

The Problem

Death and serious injury resulting from falls from tall vehicles, trailers, HGV’s and wagons are an example of situations faced by far too many transport workers, their families
and Employers.  Employers need to consider the full picture of the pain and suffering of the individual worker and the financial and social impact on that worker, their families and of course the Employer’s business.

  • Transport workers have a rate of injury caused by falling from vehicles that is four times the average for all height workers.
  • The severity of injuries is nearly double that of all other injury claims and generally occurs during trailer maintenance.

The Solution

The Transport Industry needs to recognise that the risk of injury to workers caused by falls from vehicles,  is a significant one for the employees concerned, the employer and the industry as a whole.  Like any other risk that threatens life, limb or company viability, the risk of falls from vehicles must be managed.

Risk must be assessed when considering trailer top maintenance, as with any other fall from height situations, and appropriate methods to control the risk put into practice and reviewed regularly.  This approach will not only minimise the likely impact of the risk but it will enable the industry to demonstrate that it is meeting its responsibilities both legally and morally.

Considerations

  • A fall from an elevated workplace such as a vehicle tray, cab, trailer, tanker
  • A fall through an opening such as an unguarded loading dock or work platform
  • A fall into a container such as a bin, tanker etc.

If a person is required to work where there is a risk that they may be injured by a fall, then secure platforms, ladders, guardrails or other forms of safe guarding or appropriate personal protective equipment, must be provided, checked, maintained and used, such as

  • physical barriers that prevent a person being placed at risk
  • well-constructed work platforms
  • edge protection, guardrails and handrails of an appropriate height
  • Fall Arrest harness and lanyard attached to a rail, static line or anchorage point

Heightsafe Systems will answer your Technical Questions, Compliance enquiries or if you simply wish to discuss your needs, we are here to help you.  Please either call or send us an enquiry with a brief overview of your requirements.

For HSE Guidelines on Falls From Vehicles please follow this link http://www.hse.gov.uk/fallsfromvehicles/wpt01.pdf

Link to us

If you want to link to this blog, copy and paste the following HTML code to your website.