Select Page

Each year, over five thousand transport accidents occur in the workplace. According to the HSE about 50 of these end in the death of an contractor, employee or member of the public. The main causes of injury are workers falling off work vehicles, or being struck or crushed by them.

Companies have a legal obligation for the wellbeing of their employees, contractors and the public aren’t put at risk resulting from the work they do. Employees and the self-employed also have a duty to look after their own health and safety and that of anybody who might be affected by their work.

What is transport in the workplace

Transport in the workplace is any activity involving work vehicles used in a workplace. Vehicles operated on public roads are not included, except where the vehicle is being loaded or unloaded on a public highway close to a business.

Click play our health and safety video on how you and your business can remain safe in the workplace. The video is made by the Health and Safety Executive, who is not only a completely independent regulator of safe practices in the Great Britain, but also provides advice and support to business on how they can ensure the safety of their employees at work.

How can you help prevent accidents at work?

Driver visibility need to be adequate for drivers to see hazards, and pedestrians to see vehicles. Suitable visibility for drivers relates to vehicle speed and also the distance required to change direction or stop. Think about having mirrors on-site here blind or sharp bends cannot be avoided.

Signs for drivers and pedestrians in a place of work should be the similar to the signs as seen in the Highway Code, wherever a suitable sign exists. They need to be well placed and clean. Where driving is likely to be done in the dark, illuminated or reflective signs must be used.

White road markings should be used to control traffic movement, and yellow markings must be used for parking. Wherever possible, these kinds of road markings should be reflective and taken care of frequently.

About a quarter of all fatalities involving vehicles at the workplace occur because of reversing. Additionally, it results in substantial damage to vehicles, equipment and property.

The most effective way of reducing reversing incidents is to take away the need to reverse by, for example, using one-way transport flow. Where this is not possible, building yards, factories and other places of work should be organised so that reversing is kept down to a minimum.

Vehicle parking areas should be clearly indicated and there should be separate parking areas for commercial and private vehicles. Also there should be allocated places where commercial vehicles can be unloaded and loaded.

When vehicles are parked, their parking brakes should be applied. On most trailers disconnecting the emergency airline would not apply the trailer parking brake. Drivers shouldn’t leave a vehicle alone without ensuring the two the trailer and vehicle are securely braked, the engine is off and the key to has been removed. Wherever appropriate, trailer legs need to be lowered to the floor.

Most importantly drivers should be competent to operate a vehicle safely and receive suitable information, instruction and training for the vehicle they use. It’s particularly important that younger or less experienced drivers are closely monitored right after their training to make sure they work safely.

If you’ve been involved in an accident or have been injured in a transport accident at work, then speak to someone on our employee accident team and they’ll let you know if you have a claim for compensation. Fill in our online claim form or ask for a call back using our free accident at work call back service.