According to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ), since 2012 there have been 23 fatalities in Queensland where a worker was crushed or hit by a heavy vehicle or trailer because it was not effectively immobilised.
Serious injuries in this sector totalled well above 100.
In view of this, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHS) recently ran an audit campaign focused on safely immobilising heavy vehicles and trailers. This has continued through 2017-2018.
The Campaign focused primarily on:-
- safe immobilising of heavy vehicles
- working under trucks or trailers
- truck and trailer maintenance
- coupling and de-coupling trailers
A significant number of the workforce involved in the road transport industry are workers who are on the road and need to safely get in and out of heavy vehicles, work on or under a heavy vehicle or trailer to clean it, check for faults, and undertake servicing and repairs.
WHSQ instigated the campaign to raise awareness to safety issues in this sector of the industry and prevent injuries and fatalities. The Department felt the Campaign was a valuable allocation of WHSQ resources, given the above statistics.
A webinar produced and presented by WHSQ features an interesting history of this issue and offers some good practical advice for dealing with the risks and implementing control measures to safely immobilise heavy vehicles and trailers.
Further information can also be found at https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/laws-and-compliance/compliance-and-enforcement/industry-interventions-and-campaigns/transport-and-storage/safely-immobilising-heavy-vehicles-and-trailers
The information also includes a very useful easy to use 3 page Checklist tool that you can use in your own workplace to evaluate your current practice when it comes to immobilising trucks and trailers.