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Managers

Three million people in Great Britain work on or near vehicles as part of their regular job. Getting on and off a vehicle to carry out loading/unloading operations and working at height on the vehicle are often viewed as incidental to the main job.  Because of this, the risks involved may not be properly considered by managers (and workers). The economic and human cost of the falls from vehicles that we know about was over £36 million in 2004/05.

Careful assessment of the tasks involved and planning loading and unloading to minimise work at height can reduce the risk of falls from vehicles significantly and avoid potential losses for your company.

Get help from the workers who use the vehicle – they know how the job is really done and normally have good ideas about how to make it safer and more efficient.  Consider giving a “toolbox talk” and hand out the pocket card “Preventing falls from vehicles” to relevant workers.

Make sure people working on vehicles have slip-resistant footwear.

The effectiveness of all the solutions described here depends on them being used. You will need to have procedures in place to check that systems of work are being followed.

Pocket card

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