SAFETY MATTERS

HSA focuses on workplace vehicle operations

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) have commenced a transport operations and vehicles at work inspection and awareness campaign, which will continue to run throughout 2022. The campaign will focus on the management of vehicle risks in the workplace, particularly:

n reversing and low speed manoeuvres n goods deliveries and collections n the use of vehicle tail lifts, forklifts and truck loader cranes n loading, unloading and load securing workplace signs and traffic routes, and driving for work.

The campaign will also be concentrating on warehousing and storage operations, and inspectors from the HSA will be targeting transport and logistics companies, distribution and warehousing centres and manufacturing premises with a warehousing component. They will be looking to see that safety management systems, incorporating minimum occupational safety and health control measures, are in place to reduce risks relating to:

n Internal and external warehouse traffic management

SPECIFIC hIGh RISK VEhICLE ACTIVITIES: n use of, forklifts, motorised and self-propelled handling equipment, n Loading, unloading and load securing, n Racking installation, condition, n maintenance and inspection.

In the ten-year period 2010-2019, there were 490 work-related deaths in the Republic of Ireland and of these, 44% (217) involved vehicles. In 2021 alone, over 15 people were killed in vehicle related incidents at work.

Data analysis shows that the most common type of fatal incident involved vehicles striking people on foot, many of which occurred during slow speed manoeuvres and reversing. Parked vehicles rolling out of control (in most cases because the handbrake was insufficiently engaged, or was faulty) and falls from vehicles also contributed to the numbers.

Approximately 20% of all non-fatal injuries reported to the HSA every year involve vehicles. This accounts for nearly 1,000 injuries from the transport sector alone, resulting in substantial losses to businesses. These injuries generally occurred during delivery and collection operations and particularly during the manual handling of loads or as the result of falls from vehicles.

Deirdre Sinnott, senior inspector with the HSA says that the risks can be reduced by focusing on key areas: “Employers should recognise vehicle accidents as a real threat to their business. They should put in place a vehicle risk management policy that covers all vehicle related activities in the workplace. This includes not only vehicles operated by employees but also vehicles visiting their premises, for example routine deliveries and collections. It is vital that procedures are developed and put in place to eliminate and control known risks associated with driving for work, loading and unloading, deliveries and collections, parking, reversing and manoeuvring. Once these written procedures are in place they should be communicated clearly to all employees, contractors and visiting drivers in the workplace.”

In the course of their inspections, HSA Inspectors will be providing information and making employers aware of resources which have been developed by the Authority to help them reduce the likelihood of adverse incidents involving vehicles in their businesses. There are free short on-line courses, aimed at helping employers to manage work related vehicle safety, on the HSA e-learning portal hsalearning. ie. Also, freely available guidance and resources on managing priority vehicle risks can be found at https://www.hsa.ie/ eng/vehicles_at_work/transport_safety_ guidance_resources/ and www.loadsafe.ie.