Section 8 - (Un)sheeting

Check that sheeting and unsheeting operations are carried out safely

Do you use ground based sheeting methods?
Are sheeting and unsheeting operations carried out in safe parts of the workplace, away from passing traffic and pedestrians and sheltered from strong winds and bad weather?

Are the vehicles parked on level ground with their parking brakes on and the ignition key removed?

Vehicles should be parked on firm and level ground, preferably in a parking area.  A piece of ground may look flat, but it only needs a slight gradient for a vehicle to move if the parking brakes are not applied.

A vehicle should not be left unless the parking brakes have been firmly applied, the engine has stopped, the starter key has been removed, and any mounted equipment has been lowered to the ground or secured.

It is important to lock away the keys of vehicles left parked in workplaces overnight, at weekends or when they are being left for long periods.

  • Parking - Advice and guidance to make workplace transport and vehicle manoeuvres safer at work.
  • Are gloves, safety boots and, where necessary, eye and head protection provided, and used by those engaged in the sheeting/unsheeting operations?
    Where manual sheeting is unavoidable, is there a system in place which avoids the need for a person to climb on the vehicle or load, ie by providing a platform from which loads can be sheeted?

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    Updated 2022-05-23