Essentials of Safe Loading and Unloading
Posted on 31st May 2022 at 16:56
The HSE website has identified an incident where “Two West Yorkshire businesses, Brighouse Pallet Services Ltd and Seal It Services Ltd, have been fined for safety breaches after a HGV driver suffered a fracture to one of his neck vertebrae.
Leeds Magistrates’ Court heard that on 5 August 2020 the delivery driver, an employee of Brighouse Pallet Services Ltd was struck by one or two falling pallets whilst they were being unloaded from a HGV trailer by a Seal It Services Ltd fork-lift truck (FLT) operator at the latter company’s site at Elland.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that both companies failed in their duty to provide a safe system of work. They failed to put in place simple control measures to ensure that all delivery drivers who visited the Seal It Services Ltd site were moved to a safe location for waiting, whilst HGV trailers were being unloaded by FLTs.
Seal It Services Ltd of Riverbank Way, Elland, West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £50,000 and ordered to pay £4,654.90 in costs.”
What Can We Learn From This? – Toolbox Talk Details
• Ensure that any delivery drivers are kept separate from plant such as Fork Lift Trucks (FLT)
• Safe systems of work must be provided both for plant operators and visitors operating vehicles within the area, such as a safe location for drivers while FLTs are in operation
• FLT operators must ensure their load does not exceed the safe weight limit and to avoid pallets and other items from falling from the forks
• FLT operators must only unload when pedestrians are at a safe distance away from them to minimise potential harm
• All operatives involved in loading/unloading must be trained and authorised to use the equipment and work in the areas
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Tagged as: Driver safety, Health and Safety, Operative safety, Safety Training, top tips for managing health and and safety
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