Health & safety bulletin
Unloading Delivery Vehicles
13th March 2008
We have recently had cause to investigate the unloading of delivery vehicles, particularly access to and egress from the backs of high sided trucks and the manual handling of the loads.
We are currently in negotiation with one of our suppliers to try to reduce the required manual handling of loads, particularly with regards to MID adaptor plates which are one of the heaviest items required to be moved on site.
We are also talking with a potential supplier of dedicated ladders, who are in the process of designing a prototype ladder that clamps onto the truck side and provides safe access to the bed.
More than 2000 injuries caused by people falling from vehicles are reported to the HSE every year. Many of these involve broken limbs and result in employees being absent from work for several weeks, sometimes also resulting in a loss of earnings.
The HSE offers advice to those involved in loading or unloading vehicles. This advice includes not jumping from vehicles, checking for un-even surfaces, using handholds where provided, keeping loading areas tidy, reporting missing or damaged access equipment, reporting any incidents/accidents and using safe footwear.
(The above data was taken from the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk and has been reproduced under the terms of the Click-Use Licence granted to Xmo Strata Ltd)