What's the news?
The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is today beginning a two-week campaign of inspections and awareness that is targeted at managing vehicle risks in the workplace - such as driving for a living, vehicle operations in yards/buildings and securing loads.
Inspectors from the HSA will target transport and logistics companies, manufacturing premises, waste and recycling facilities, distribution centres and warehousing centres.
According to the authority's figures, over the past six years, almost half (45 per cent) of all reported work-related fatalities involved vehicles. In 2017 alone, 22 people were killed in vehicle-related accidents at work. And statistics show that the majority of vehicle-related deaths at work took place during the manoeuvring, reversing or coupling/uncoupling of vehicles.
Further, around 20 per cent of all non-fatal injuries reported to the HSA every year involve vehicles in some way. This accounts for nearly 1,000 injuries from the transport sector alone, resulting in substantial losses to the businesses involved. These injuries typically occurred during delivery/collection operations, particularly during the manual handling of heavy loads, or as the result of falls from vehicles.
During the next fortnight, the HSA will particularly focus on: pedestrian management near moving vehicles; reversing and slow-speed manoeuvres; loading and unloading; vehicle maintenance; and certification and safety of fork-lifts, tail-lifts and lorry-loader cranes.
HSA Inspectors will also be providing information and making employers aware of resources available to help them reduce the likelihood of accidents involving vehicles in their businesses. Free online courses can be found on the HSA e-learning portal, while guidance and resources on managing priority vehicle risks can be found at Vehicles at Work and Load Safe.
Anything else?
Deirdre Sinnott, senior inspector with the HAS, said that the risks can be reduced by focusing on key areas. She added: "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."