SAFE USE OF MACHINERY - 26.10.2011

Most fork lift accident victims are on foot

Millions in danger

As an estimate, over 1.2 million UK staff regularly work near fork lift trucks. And as we know from the all too frequent headlines, these vehicles are a significant cause of accidents. HSE statistics show that each year, five to ten workers are killed by fork lifts and a further 1,500 are so seriously injured that the accident has to be reported to the authorities. So the FLTA’s estimate that two- thirds are on foot equates to three to seven deaths per year and about a thousand serious accidents. Certainly worth taking seriously. Those at risk include delivery drivers, warehouse staff, administrative workers and any other colleagues who need to pass though areas where fork lift trucks are in use.

For example

In August a Livingston food manufacturer was prosecuted in connection with an accident in which a worker was killed. George Hardie had been crossing the yard to deliver some paperwork when he was run down by a fork lift truck being driven by his colleague. The way in which it was loaded made it difficult for the driver to see anyone that may have been in his way. He only stopped when he felt the truck run over something and by then Mr Hardie was trapped beneath the machine. Vion Food Scotland Ltd was fined £100,000.

First things first

The most effective way of preventing this type of accident is to keep pedestrians and fork lift trucks apart. This can be easier said than done, however, and often requires some innovative thinking (see The next step).

Tip 1. Try to organise your workplace to minimise the need for pedestrians to enter areas used by mobile equipment.

Tip 2. You may already have local rules which ban staff from areas with moving vehicles, but consider whether you could do more. Some companies have made effective use of door entry systems to restrict access to authorised persons.

Tip 3. Fork lift drivers will be more alert to the possibility of staff on foot where there’s a marked walkway, but as you can imagine, painting a route on the floor is not a foolproof solution.

Tip 4. Barriers are useful in protecting pedestrian routes and should normally be used. However, if staff are still allowed on foot within the areas of work, there’s a risk of becoming trapped between the truck and the barrier. Consider whether this is an issue before filling your site with barriers.

Training

Employers should consider the training needs not only of drivers but also of others in the workplace.

Tip. Any member of staff who could be at risk from fork lift trucks on your site should have an awareness of the areas where they’re working, the difficulties a driver might have in seeing them and your site rules. The best way of doing this is to include it in your health and safety induction for new starters.

For a sample fork lift operations risk assessment, visit http://healthandsafety.indicator.co.uk(HS 10.04.05).