WORKPLACE TRANSPORT

摘要

OVER the past 2 years there have been 98 fatal injuries to workers as a result of workplace transport accidents. In addition, there are more than 1000 major injuries every year involving vehicles in the workplace. Preventing such fatal accidents and major injuries is one of the Health and Safety Executive's priorities. This isn't a story about one type of work, although fork lift trucks and HGVs feature, nor is it just about warehouses and loading bays. There are 4 key areas in which workers and vehicles can come into dangerous contact. In the car park it is important, so far as possible, to separate vehicles from pedestrian routes (good layout), to provide protected pedestrian routes including marked crossing points, to ensure that vehicle routes avoid blind bends and are 1 -way if there is room. (The routes should be wide enough, well constructed and free from obstructions and hazards; complete with clear markings especially at junctions.) Given that people, as a minimum, have to gain access to their vehicles, speed limits are usually necessary in all but the smallest parking areas. A risk assessment will help explore requirements such as mirrors for greater vision at blind bends, speed humps, direction signs.