Vehicles and transport (Transcript)

‘Workplace transport’ refers to any vehicle or piece of mobile equipment, used in any work setting, apart from travelling on public roads.

Most transport-related accidents involve being:

  • hit or run over by moving vehicles;
  • falling from vehicles;
  • struck by objects falling from vehicles (usually part of the load); or
  • injured as a result of vehicles overturning.

The Workplace (Health Safety and Welfare) Regulations require that all road surfaces are maintained in good order and that every workplace is organised in such a way that pedestrians and vehicles can circulate in a safe manner.

A workplace transport risk assessment should identify all work activities involving vehicles. Activities may include:

  • arrival and departure;
  • travel within the workplace;
  • loading, unloading and securing loads;
  • sheeting and unsheeting;
  • coupling and uncoupling; and
  • vehicle maintenance.

The assessment should consider hazards associated with the vehicle, the workplace, and people.

Vehicle

  • Is it the correct vehicle for the job?
  • Is it maintained in good working order?

Workplace

  • Are the roadways maintained in good condition?
  • Are there suitable and sufficient traffic routes?
  • Is the need for reversing eliminated or minimised?
  • Is there adequate space, lighting and signage?

People

  • Are drivers competent
  • Are drivers controlling the pace of work or are they under pressure to meet deadlines?
  • Are other people segregated from workplace transport operations, either physically by barriers or by space or time?

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