Van driving can involve
high
mileage and
pressure – so if you drive a van for a living what can be
done to
make your job safer?
It is
important to keep a two second
gap
between your vehicle and the vehicle in front. This should be extended
to four seconds in wet weather or poor visibility. This is your braking
space in a crisis. In poor visibility, never hang on to the lights of
the vehicle in front. You will be too close for safety and not
“reading the road” for yourself.
Load
Safety
When a vehicle crashes into a
wall at
25mph, an item of unsecured luggage weighing just 25kg will travel
forward with the force equivalent to a baby elephant (three tonnes), so
it makes sense to secure your load properly. It’s also a
legal
duty shared by both the driver and vehicle operator. The Road Traffic
Act, 1991, states that “vehicle users” are legally
required
to ensure that loads are secured safely on all journeys. In addition,
the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations, 1986, require
that “all parts and accessories and the weight distribution,
packing and adjustment of their loads shall be such that no danger is
likely to be caused to any person in or on the vehicle or trailer on
the road”.Routine checks should include:
- Lashing equipment for signs
of damage.
- Nets, tarpaulins and sheets
for signs of damage.
- Anchorage points, headboards
and bulkheads for signs of corrosion or cracks.
In addition, you should ensure:
- All load items are secured
properly.
- The weight and size of the
load is within the limits of your vehicle, trailer and restraint
devices.
- The load weight is evenly
distributed across the vehicle’s floor.
- The centre of gravity of the
load is as low as possible by placing heavier items at the bottom,
lighter items at the top.
- Wherever possible, the load
is placed in contact with the headboard/bulkhead.
- The doors are locked and the
lock mechanisms are in good condition.
The Department for Transport
issues
guidelines on load safety. Called “The Security of Loads on
Vehicles code of practice” it can be downloaded from the DfT
website www.dft.gov.co.uk
Reversing
Nearly a quarter of
work-related
deaths involving vehicles occur when reversing and 90 per cent of
reversing accidents occur off road. Tips from the HSE for safer
reversing include:
- Remove the need for
reversing wherever possible.
- Exclude people from
area where vehicles have to reverse.
- Minimise the distance
vehicles have to reverse.
- Use a properly trained
banksman or guide.
- Decide how the driver
is to make and keep contact with a banksman.
- Make sure all staff are
adequately trained.
- Make sure all visiting
drivers are adequately briefed.
- Make sure all vehicle
manoeuvres are properly supervised.
- Use mirror to increase
the area the driver can see.
- Fit a reversing alarm.
- Use other safety
devices such as barriers.
Company
Responsibilities
Under the Health
&
Safety at Work Act, employers owe a “duty of care”
to their
employees wherever they are and failing in duty of care can result in
heavy fines. Additionally, there is a current drive (no pun intended)
concerning the safety of people who drive as part of their work. We
would recommend that employers read the HSE guide called
“Managing work-related road safety”
(www.hse.gov.uk). Other
useful resources include The Fleet Safety Forum (www.brake.org.uk) and
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents(www.rospa.co.uk).
