Workplace transport safety An employers' guide - ARRI Lighting Rental

Health and Safety
Executive
545 When individual parts need to be replaced because of wear or damage, loadretention
strapping, demountable lifting chains, lifting cables and other systems
should be replaced in sets wherever this is reasonable. This helps to make sure
that there are not large differences in the levels of stress that different pieces have
been exposed to.
546 Vehicles should provide protection for drivers from bad weather, or an
inhospitable working environment (for example, very high or low temperatures, dirt,
dust, fumes, or excessive noise or vibration).
547 Drivers have been known to fix materials across overhead parts of a vehicle
(such as the falling-object protection on a lift truck) to provide some shelter from
the weather. This is a sign that properly engineered weather protection is probably
necessary.
548 No one should be allowed to climb around parts of vehicles that are not
designed to support them, and no one should act in a way that could result in
slipping and accidentally activating vehicle controls.
Case study 9
An employee received fatal injuries when he was crushed between the mast
and the top of the overhead guard of an industrial counterbalance lift truck.
He accidentally operated the mast tilt with his boot as he climbed onto the
dashboard to wrap plastic film over the overhead structure to protect himself
from heavy rain. The lift truck engine had been left on and handbrake off.
Although eight lift truck drivers worked for the firm, several had not had
refresher training for many years, and two had received no training at all. The
use of cling film for weather protection was common, as was the fitting of
wood or metal covers on lift trucks.
The truck was mainly used outside, but the company had not assessed
the need for a cover. Appropriate weatherproofing should have been fitted;
access to the bulkhead should have been restricted and accidental use of
the controls prevented by fitting a transparent half-screen.
The firm was prosecuted and fined £5000 with £3000 costs.
549 Where appropriate, vehicles should have driver protection to prevent injury if
the vehicle overturns, and to prevent the driver from being hit by falling objects. This
could include roll protection, operator restraints and falling-object protection. See
chapter Preventing vehicles from overturning for further information about roll-over
protection and driver restraints.
Visibility from vehicles and reversing aids
550 Vehicles should have large enough windscreens (with wipers where necessary)
and external mirrors to provide adequate all-round visibility.
Figure 36 Side-mounted mirrors
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