Workplace transport inspection pack

Specific examples of cross-cutting problems1 Cleaning or maintenance of vehiclesThe WAH hierarchy should be applied to the cleaning or maintenance ofvehicles where there is a risk of injury as a result of a fall eg. repair of roofmounted beacons or air conditioning units, routine servicing of refrigerationunits. Dutyholders should be looking for the safest way to do the job.Positioning plant at ground level (Case study 4, Morrisons underslungrefrigeration units) may be a longterm solution, but interim solutions may benecessary. The available solutions will depend on the type of vehicle, eg 55tonne excavator compared with a roadgoing vehicle, and where the activity isbeing carried out:a) Service depot based - They should have access to something likeaircraft steps or even a decent stepladder which could be worked from. Amobile tower or podium step with guard rails would be better. A simplescaffold system may be used back at base, creating a gantry which goes overthe top of the vehicle.b) Customer depot based - as above, but will involvecommunications/co-operation with the site operator if equipment is neededregularly and will be kept on site. If visits are less frequent then equipment willneed to be portable and suitable for use by the engineer possibly on his own.c) Roadside or emergency repair -If a roadside repair can't be done safely ie no access equipment suitable oravailable, then it should be done back at base.Modern earthmoving machines are often equipped with guardrails, whichprevent falls, but for older machines simple tower scaffolds, podium steps oraircraft steps may be able to be used. The relevant plant should be positionedon good ground capable of supporting such equipment prior to the engineer’svisit. Can the engineer utilise an existing loading bay or platform withguardrails, which the equipment could be parked alongside?If guardrails are not available, could work restraint, which prevents the userreaching an edge from which they could fall be used? This has benefits over fallarrest equipment in that it prevents a fall.Consider also the trivial types of maintenance which involve risk of falling – forexample, we have had falls from earth moving machines whilst adjustingmirrors.Fall protection systems should only be used if the anchorage point can bemounted above the worker, which may not possible out on site (See Falls topicpack).Access/egress to large plant (eg cranes) on low loaders where the vehicle fillsthe space on the trailer and the steps finish in open space are likely to be aproblem that may require guardrails or access walkways built on, or needmobile steps/platform.