Activities associated with material handling carry many risks. The movement, control, storage, or disposal of products involves heavy goods and machinery, creating difficult working conditions and safety risks.
There are many risks to consider when managing safety around material handling equipment. Conveyors, excavators, HGVs, forklifts, shovel loaders, pallet trucks, and other similar industrial vehicles are commonly used, all of which present well-known risks to operators and workers.
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Recent Fatal Incidents and Enforcement Action
This year, a waste management company has been fined £2.48 million after a worker was run over by a reversing skip wagon at a waste transfer station in Bradford. The company was convicted for failing to effectively review and monitor the control measures in place to protect pedestrians and keep them separate from vehicle movements.
This tragic incident underscores a sector-wide safety issue, particularly involving material handling equipment. Loading shovels, in particular, have come under the spotlight within the recycling sector. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issued a safety notice following nine fatal vehicle-pedestrian accidents over a four-year period, specifically highlighting the dangers of loading shovels.
The notice was prompted by the tragic death of an agency worker who was fatally struck by a loading shovel. The HSE later classed this as an avoidable accident. This victim had previously been struck by a vehicle four years earlier, and tragically lost his life when he was struck again by the loading shovel in the second, fatal incident. Following this, the recycling company involved was fined more than £2 million last year.
To address these fatalities, the HSE notice highlighted the need for improved driver visibility and rigorous segregation between vehicles and pedestrians.
Systemic Failures with Vehicle Compliance
However, the problem extends beyond loading shovels. Forklifts, too, are disproportionately represented in serious and fatal accidents in the workplace. A UK plastics manufacturer was fined £400,000 when an employee was seriously injured by a forklift truck. In an area with multiple pedestrians working in close proximity to vehicles, the man was struck by the forklift while walking to collect materials, and the driver failed to see him. The investigation found that although safety systems were in place, they were not being followed, and nothing was in place to measure compliance.
In light of these persistent failures, these accidents make clear the need for an ongoing and dedicated commitment to manage safety around material handling equipment and pedestrians. Vehicle operators should always be able to maintain strong situational awareness of the other vehicles and people around them.
Effective Segregation and Proactive Prevention
The best way to manage safety around material handling equipment and reduce the chance of these terrible accidents is to effectively segregate vehicles and pedestrians.
This can be achieved through a layered approach:
Physical Segregation and Traffic Management
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Separate routes: Dedicated paths for pedestrians and vehicles, clearly marked with signage, barriers, and floor markings.
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Traffic control systems: Such as one-way routes, dedicated reversing areas, crossings, safety signage, traffic lights, and physical barriers.
Safety Technology
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Proximity warning technology: Alerts drivers and pedestrians to nearby hazards through pedestrian tag vibration, in-cab audio, and/or visual alarms that instantly raise awareness at a crucial moment so that accidents can be avoided.
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Active signage: Communicates directly with moving vehicles and automatically illuminates on approach so that anyone in the area is immediately aware of the risk around them.
Personal Protection
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Personal protective equipment (PPE): Including high visibility jackets, which helps make pedestrians as visible as possible to drivers.
Boost Safety Around Material Handling Equipment
While material handling activities inherently carry risk, the tragedies outlined in this article demonstrate that the resulting accidents are overwhelmingly preventable. Anywhere vehicles and pedestrians work closely with each other, there is potential for danger – the key is to take a proactive, preventative approach that targets hazards and stops preventable accidents in their tracks.
Get in touch with ZoneSafe and start to manage your site safety around material handling equipment today.
