Transport

Workplace Transport Safety

Workplace transport refers to any vehicle or piece of mobile equipment that is used by an employer, employees, self-employed people or visitors in any work setting. Very few places of work do not encounter some form of workplace transport. Workplace transport covers a wide range of vehicles from common vehicles such as cars, delivery vans, large goods vehicles and forklift trucks to less commonly encountered container handlers and rubber tyre gantries.

Every year people are killed or seriously injured in accidents involving workplace transport. Accidents that do not involve personal injury can result in damage to property, plant and equipment and the vehicle itself.

The most common types of workplace transport accidents are:

• People being hit by vehicles
• People falling from vehicles
• Objects falling from vehicles
• Vehicles overturning

Most fatal workplace transport accidents occur during the following activities:

• Reversing
• Maintenance and repair
• Loading and unloading
• Coupling and uncoupling

At the route of these accidents is poor management control, involving a failure to provide or maintain a safe workplace, a safe vehicle, a safe driver and / or safe systems of work. With appropriate and effective safety management practices workplace transport risks can be controlled.