E106:06 25 October 2006

HSE withdraws paper industry guidance INDG 396

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today announced the withdrawal of paper industry guidance INDG 396 “Transporting paper safely: Guidance for hauliers and others who transport paper and paper products” after discussions with Department for Transport (DfT). HSE’s decision to withdraw the guidance has been discussed at the Health and Safety Commission Paper and Board Advisory Committee and with the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI). This guidance booklet included advice in relation to securing tall paper reels, bales and palletised products on curtain-sided lorries. The industry is now advised to refer to section 16 of the DfT code of practice for guidance. More information on the HSE website: www.hse.gov.uk/paper/indg396withdraw.pdf [PDF 391kb]

James Barrett, Head of Manufacturing Sector, HSE explained, “The advice in INDG 396 differed with the standards of DfT’s code of practice - Since DfT are responsible for setting the standards of security of loads being transported by road, their code of practice has primacy on this issue. We advise the industry to refer to the DfT code of practice.

HSE continues its commitment to the manufacturing industries and following a number of recent serious incidents has commissioned a research project to look at the effectiveness of different methods of securing and restraining loads on curtain-sided lorries.”

The research carried out by the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) will look at methods for securing and restraining a wide range of heavy loads including reels, palletised goods, bagged products and products transported in cages. It will examine the effectiveness of different securing and restraining methods, assess the level of risk associated with each method and will include a cost benefit analysis that will take account of the commercial viability of different methods. The research was commissioned on the 1 September 2006 and is expected to take up to 12 months to complete.

The results of the research will help to inform HSE’s decision on whether to replace INDG 396 or whether the advice contained in the DfT Code of Practice, the forthcoming EU Best Practice Guidelines and existing HSE publication HSG 136 “Workplace Transport Safety” provide sufficient guidance for employers involved in the transport of paper products.

An Expert Group of the European Commission, composed of government, industry, insurance and research institute representatives from Member States, have recently developed Best Practice Guidelines for load securing on vehicles for cross border transportation of goods between member states. DfT were represented at the working group and have advised that the guidelines go further than their own current Code of Practice by recommending amongst other things, suitable methods of calculating the number of lashings required to secure loads. DfT has advised that the guidelines are likely to be published before the end of 2006.

Notes to Editors:

1. To read more on summaries of the outcomes of discussions that HSE has had with the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI); outlines on the way that HSE will be moving forward in relation to this matter; major research that HSE has commissioned in relation to methods for securing and restraining heavy loads on curtain-sided lorries; and interim measures that hauliers and others can take to ensure that the risks of heavy loads falling from these vehicles are reduced as far as reasonably practicable visit www.hse.gov.uk/paper/indg396withdraw.pdf [PDF 391kb]
2. The research commissioned by HSE on 1 September 2006 is expected to take up to 12 months to complete. The results of the research will help to inform HSE’s decision on whether to replace INDG 396 or whether the advice contained in the DfT code of practice, the forthcoming EU Best Practice Guidelines and existing HSE publication HSG 136 “Workplace Transport Safety” provide sufficient guidance for employers involved in the transport of paper products.
3. More information is available in Department for Transport The Safety of Loads on Vehicles: Code of Practice 3rd edition. The Stationary Office 2002. ISBN 0 11 552547 5 www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_roads/documents/page/dft_roads_506864.pdf and Workplace Transport Safety: An employers’ guide HSG136 (2nd edition) HSE Books 2005 ISBN 0 7176 6154 7

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