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Safety Net Journal Issue 7 |
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HSE targets falls from vehcicles
By Tony Larkin
The HSE has launched a major new campaign to reduce the number of falls from vehicles.
Fall-from-vehicle incidents can result in serious injuries. According to the HSE, in 2004/05, the human and economic cost of the fall-from-vehicle incidents we know about was over £36.5 million. They often keep skilled people,such as lorry drivers, off work for many weeks; agency workers might have to be employed to 'fill in', and deliveries may be delayed. More than 75% of major fall-from-vehicle incidents occur during loading and unloading activities. Fall prevention must be an integral part of planning loading and unloading and selecting the right kind of vehicle is an important part of this.
A recent study by the Health and Safety Laborotory (HSL) into falls from vehicles looked at over 250 accidents. The main cause for falls was the lack of proper safety management. Usdaw has produced its own summary of the main findings of the HSL report - http://www.usdaw.org.uk/healthandsafety/hazards/files/hazards/Falls%20from%20vehicles.doc.
The HSE website contains information and advice and case studies. Separate sections offer advice to vehicle buyers, to managers and to workers. To see the website go to http://www.hse.gov.uk/fallsfromvehicles/index.htm
Source: HSE
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