Workplace transport safety An employers' guide - ARRI Lighting Rental

Health and Safety
Executive
185 Generally, parking and loading or unloading should be
off the road and pavement, well away from members of the public. Loading or
unloading over the pavement should be avoided, but where this is not possible a
specific risk assessment should be carried out for the task.
186 If a delivery vehicle parks up on a public road outside a supplier’s or recipient’s
premises, any loading or unloading is still covered by health and safety law, and all
of the normal duties of employers and employees apply. In particular, there can be
risks to the safety of members of the public who drive or walk near the loading or
unloading.
187 Delivery drivers should try to park their vehicle so that the side of the delivery
vehicle with the easiest access to the load is towards the workplace, instead of
towards the road. This is to reduce the amount of work that takes place in the flow
of traffic, and near members of the public.
188 If other ways of making reversing safe are not effective enough, the employer
whose premises are being used may need to consider providing a competent and
authorised signaller (banksman), with appropriate high-visibility equipment and
using agreed hand signals. See chapter Reversing for more information about using
banksmen.
189 A signaller working in these conditions will need to give priority to public traffic
(both pedestrian and vehicles) because the signaller will have no authority to stop
traffic on the road. If cones or barriers are to be used, employers should discuss
this with the local police and the highway authority. Pedestrians should not be
directed onto the road.
190 If lift trucks are being used, it is important that drivers and their employers are
aware of any increased risk of overturn that would result from driving them over
kerbs or on a road camber that might make them unstable.
191 If articulated vehicles are being coupled or uncoupled, drivers should have
been instructed on how to park each type of vehicle they use, as there can be
significant differences and misunderstandings. Semi-trailer parking brakes and cab
handbrakes should always be used, and the emergency brakes should never be
relied on. See chapter Coupling and uncoupling for more information.
192 The delivery driver plays an important part in delivery safety, and is often
the person injured in delivery or collection accidents. The driver should receive
adequate safety information for each delivery or collection beforehand.
193 Everyone involved should set up simple, well-understood systems for reporting
any vehicle accidents, incidents, near misses and other safety concerns during
deliveries and collections, and exchanging information with everyone else.
194 Everyone should be encouraged to report incidents and concerns and
appropriate action should be taken where reports are made.
195 Drivers may be faced with unexpected situations. Employers should train
drivers in general safety precautions to take when visiting sites, in particular
concerning the risks involved in loading and unloading.
196 As well as training, providing drivers with simple delivery safety checklists may
help them check that reasonable precautions have been taken, and help them
decide if it is reasonable for them to refuse to continue with a particular delivery or
collection.
Workplace transport safety Page 27 of 144