Working on back of vehicles - Steel Transport Safety Network 2013 Conference - Aug 15/16 Jennifer Chellew
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Working on back of vehicles Steel Transport Safety Network 2013 Conference – Aug 15/16 Jennifer Chellew
Working on back of vehicles –
Falls
> Falling risks are big (data and examples)
> Legal requirements
> Risk controls are out there
> Government activity across Australia in 13/14
> Tell me your stories
Page 2
Victorian fatalities – falling from a truck • 2003 – man fell from cabin • 2005 - Worker had heart attack and fell head-first from grain truck. WorkSafe prosecuted -$12500 fine and conviction • 2010 – self employed driver – mechanism unclear • 2013 - fall from a prime mover that WorkSafe is now investigating (thus can’t provide details)
Victorian incidents & notifications – falling from a truck • 27 in 12/13 from tray • 2 in 12/13 from cab Examples: • “A male truck driver was on the ladder of the back of the truck, he has slipped on the ladder and caught his wedding ring on the corner of the ladder, and he has fallen approximately 1 metre but the ring was caught, resulting in the finger being de-gloved. The finger was amputated from the top knuckle above.” • “Employee (male, 52 years) was out on a site collecting structural steel, as he went to step up on the side of the truck, he slipped and landed awkwardly onto his right knee. He returned to work and was taken to the local medical centre where he was informed that he had torn his PCL” • “Whilst a 65 y/o male driver was loading pebbles, he climbed up the ladder at back of the truck, slipped off the back of his truck, landing on his back. He fell approximately 8-9 foot onto a draw bar. He fractured 4 vertebrae in his lower back. Amazingly he drive 1 hour back to XXXXX (home base) then was driven to the hospital by his wife several hours later (against his will). He was taken to XXXXX hospital, and then flown to XXXXX hospital in Melbourne” • “A 59 y/0 male employee fell from his truck cabin while getting out of the vehicle. He more than likely missed the step and fell approximately 3 feet fracturing his left femur.”
Victorian driver* claims (12/13)
• 220 ‘fall from height’ claims
> Plus Commonwealth, Self Insurers, most owner-drivers
• Roughly 10% of all driver claims seen by WorkSafe
• Three quarters were serious thus affected employer
premiums
* Delivery and Truck drivers
Safety Costs to Road Freight
Transport Operators
Average cost of a claim for selected injury mechanisms are:
> Body stressing >$109000
> Falling from height
Safety Costs to Road Freight Transport Operators • Premium is 4.4% of remuneration • All Victorian Workplaces average is 1.3% of remuneration
“ Some Queensland stats “ Safe Work Australia (2012) Compendium of Workers’ Compensation Statistics Australia, www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au Image: © Tony Phillips
Some stats: serious injuries…
“
Employees in Transport & storage sustained the
highest incidence rate of all industries:
24.0 serious claims per 1000 employees, “
nearly twice the national rate of 12.6.
“road freight transport group…
29.5 serious claims per 1000 employees
“
Safe Work Australia (2012) Compendium of Workers’ Compensation Statistics Australia,
www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au Image: © Tony Phillips
Causes of injury
Mechanism of injury or disease
Agency of injury
Image: © Tony PhillipsCauses of injury
Image: © Ray Cash PhotographyCauses of injury
Image: © Ray Cash PhotographyCauses
Causes of injury
injury
149 219 120
277
261
185
158
Image: © Ray Cash PhotographyCauses of injury - Severity (days off work)
4,817 11,168 7,931
6,778
7,946
2,487
3,344
Image: © Ray Cash PhotographyWhat are the risk factors?
- Poor vehicle design
- Lighting and weather
- Slippery surfaces
- Trip hazards
- Uneven loads
- Worker haste and inattention
- Improper footwear
Image: © Ray Cash PhotographyNational regulations say….. All fall risks (WHS Part 4.4. Regulations 78 - 80) Control any risk of fall ‘from one level to another’ with: > On ground or solid construction AND > Safe access THEN > Passive fall prevention device (eg. barrier) THEN > Work positioning system THEN > Fall arrest system (with emergency rescue procedures)
Victorian regulations say - general
General fall risk– (Section 21, OHS Act)
> General duties to control risks to health and safety as far as is
reasonably practicable
> Eliminate THEN reduce risk (Section 20) as far as ….Victorian regulations say for >2m • Over 2 m (Regulation 3.3) Very similar to national legislation.
Reducing risk – BACK OF TRUCK HIERARCHY • Work from ground (elimination) • Work platforms (mobile or fixed) • Safer tray access (design and surfaces and lighting and handrails) AND • Tray edge protection • Fall arrest systems • Better procedures / more alert / limbered-up / less rushed • Better footwear
Reducing risk – CABIN HIERARCHY • Safer access & egress (design and surfaces and lighting and handrails) • Better procedures / more alert / limbered-up / less rushed • Better footwear
Work from the ground
Working from the ground
Working from the ground – Cement Australia Pre-operational checks of coolant and oil from the ground
Working from the ground – Cement Australia Re-positioning toolbox for access from ground
Work platforms
Work platforms
Edge protection
SpanSet WebRail WebRail Heavy Vehicle Fall Protection System Tension force indicator
Tranzguard •Also half fold •Also with meshing •Meet AS 1576.1 – 2010 (Scaffolding)
Garlock SpeedGuard
(American)
http://www.railguard.net/
speedguard.htmlSafety rail (Leighton Construction) •Designed for delivery at construction sites •Modified ‘barriergroup’ barriers •Designed a bracket for tie rail in-house •10-15 minutes per semi trailer
On tankers
No-bolt barriers Trailer Access Guardrail •Useful for relatively flat, even surfaces •Hook into tie rail
No-bolt barriers Temporary edge protection system •Lightweight •Easy to attach to tie-rail •Meets AS1657-1992 (Fixed platforms, walkways, stairways & ladders)
No-bolt barriers Tray access Platform integrated guardrail (TAPIG) •Locks against trailer •Use with lanyard •Good for mixed loads
FPSS - Fall Prevention Safety System
Car carrier guard railing
. Safe access
Safe access UES (INT’L) PTY LTD Retract a Steps www.uesint.com www.retractasteps.com.au
Safe access Mobile steps Swires CS No-bolt - TAPIG
Entering and exiting cab
Risks can be reduced by using
- trucks with good steps and handrails
- steps with adequate lightingEntering and exiting cab –
Cement Australia
•external step lighting, wired to the cabin’s interior light
•anti-slip step nose-capping
•hand-grabs to provide extra gripHarnesses and netting
Harnesses – and structures
Rescue processes
neededHarnesses – and structures
Rescue processes neededFall arrest netting Rescue processes needed
A national approach
•Falls from trays/trailers/cabs is a national priority
-Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities – Transport campaign –
June 2013
•Activities TBD
•Similar to a 2003 national initiative for:
•car carriers
•livestock
•bulk grain
•tankersQueensland’s activities WorkShops across the state: Preventing Falls From Trucks campaign has engaged industry to identify issues and solutions Advanced workshops planned. Want company action plans Inspections Pilot inspections to start very soon
Other states’ activities
•NSW have support from industry groups to focus on falls.
WorkCover will:
•Raise awareness
•Produce guidance
•Provide support (coaching, sharing, Ambassador program)
•Do inspections
•Victoria is:
• doing inspections now looking at manual handling and falls
and other issues.
•3-points of contact stickers
•Working with car carriers and livestock transportation
•SA – 3-points of contact stickers and promoting exercisesIn Summary
•Falling risks are significant
•Legal requirements
•Risk controls are out there
•Activity across Australia in 13/14
•Tell me your storiesQuestions?
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