Kick out convention

Annually in the UK more than three million people work near - or on - vehicles and every year around 2000 drivers and workers are injured through falls from vehicles. With more than 75% of falls from vehicles occurring during loading or unloading, it is no wonder that the 2005 Working at Height Regulations puts a duty of care on employers to ensure these risks are properly assessed and adequate measures put in place to protect their workforce. Simple, yet effective controls can ensure the risk of falls from delivery and site vehicles is removed; mitigating against the potential losses for the companies involved.

Despite the significant advances we have seen over the previous two decades, the construction industry is, without doubt, a potentially dangerous sector. Accounting for just 5% of those employed in Britain, it still represents 31% of all fatal injuries to employees and 10% of all reported major/specified injuries in 2014. For those in construction an uncompromising approach to health and safety is still the ultimate goal. Traditionally effort has focused on the construction work itself. However, with increasingly stringent regulations, the scope of health and safety has widened to include all aspects of site safety – for example the provision of sanitation for site workers, considerations for working in high temperatures, access to and from site and the safe handling of deliveries to site.

The air crash bag restraint system has been the conventional solution when it comes to work at height and the loading, checking and unloading of vehicles for some time. This type of safety system demands a large footprint onsite. It also requires air pressure from a compressor to fill it and then maintain the air supply. Abundant space is a prerequisite for such a system to operate at the same time as enabling swift and efficient vehicle manoeuvring, loading and unloading.

An effective and compliant delivery plan takes into account a number of considerations, including any limitation on delivery times, site access, the maximum size of vehicles and whether articulated lorries are acceptable, the route to the unloading bay, any site-specific hazards – such as speed limits onsite, reversing constraints and danger areas. It should also cover instructions for the driver upon arrival, such as PPE to be worn and his or her roles and responsibilities: unsheeting, load checking, unloading or assistance with securing lifting equipment to the load, or safe refuge for the driver if they are not involved in the unloading itself. The load configuration on the vehicle and a clear unloading sequence is also vital to ensure both optimal site safety for everyone involved and the most effective use of time.

Site managers and those responsible for health and safety onsite could find genuine advantages in a prefabricated, self contained alternative to the conventional air crash bag restraint system.

Crucially any access to delivery vehicles via a self contained, site-ready solution should be designed to BS EN1004: 200, the current standard for mobile access and working towers made from prefabricated elements. Access for more than one person should be a key requisite – in order to maintain site schedules and ensure swift loading, checking or unloading and optimise the workforce effectively.

Flexibility in the way the unit can be configured is also important. It should accommodate access restrictions on vehicles as they are presented and account for forklift exclusion zones and loading constraints at sites and yards. Options for access to the rear or side (or both) should be available to ensure a safe working exclusion zone around different types of vehicles. Therefore a supplier that can provide a range of access options should be considered. Such a solution could provide an alternative for sites where space is at a premium, timed deliveries present logistical challenges and swift turnaround is needed.

A system such as LoadSafe offers safe, secure access to trailer bed vehicles, for more than one person at a time. It is manufactured in line with P.U.W.E.R 1998 and BS 4592 (Part 1) to withstand 5kn/m2 of downward force to ensure the maximum level of safety when loading and unloading from trailers. It is suitable for use where no edge protection is present and crucially it offers the stability needed for use on surfaced and unsurfaced areas. LoadSafe platforms have already been installed at multiple sites across the UK and Europe, to satisfy the 2005 Working at Height Regulations.