Movement of people and vehicles – hazards and control
9.3 Control strategies for pedestrian hazards
9.2.5 Striking against fi xed or stationary objects
This accounts for between 1200 and 1400 major acci- dents each year. Injuries are caused to a person either by colliding with a fi xed part of the building structure, work in progress, a machine member or a station- ary vehicle or by falling against such objects. The head appears to be the most vulnerable part of the body to this particular hazard and this is invariably caused by the misjudgement of the height of an obstacle. Concussion in a mild form is the most common outcome and a medical check-up is normally recommended. It is a very common injury during maintenance operations when there is, perhaps, less familiarity with particular space restrictions around a machine. Effective solutions to all these hazards need not be expensive, time consum- ing or complicated. Employee awareness and common sense combined with a good housekeeping regime will solve many of the problems.
9.3 Control strategies for pedestrian hazards
9.3.1 Slips, trips and falls on the same level These may be prevented or, at least, reduced by several control strategies. These and all the other pedestrian hazards discussed should be included in the workplace risk assessments required under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations by identifying slip or trip hazards, such as poor or uneven fl oor/pavement surfaces, badly lit stairways and puddles from leaking roofs. There is also a legal requirement in the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations for all fl oors to be suitable, in good condition and free from obstructions.
Traffi c routes must be so organized that people can move around the workplace safely.
The key elements of a health and safety management system are as relevant to these as to any other hazards:
➤ planning – remove or minimize the risks by using appropriate control measures and defi ned working practices (e.g. covering all trailing leads)
➤ organization – involve employees and supervisors in the planning process by defi ning responsibility for keeping given areas tidy and free from trip hazards
➤ control – record all cleaning and maintenance work.
Ensure that anti-slip covers and cappings are placed
on stairs, ladders, catwalks, kitchen fl oors and smooth walkways. Use warning signs when fl oor sur- faces have recently been washed
➤ monitoring and review – carry out regular safety audits of cleaning and housekeeping procedures and include trip hazards in safety surveys. Check on accident records to see whether there has been an improvement or if an accident black spot may be identifi ed.
Slip and trip accidents are a major problem for large retail stores both for customers and employees. The provision of non-slip fl ooring, a good standard of lighting and minimizing the need to block aisles during the re-stocking of merchandise are typical measures that many stores use to reduce such accidents. Other measures include the wearing of suitable footwear by employees, adequate handrails on stairways, the highlighting of any fl oor level changes and procedures to ensure a quick and effective response to any reports of fl oor damage or spillages. Good housekeep- ing procedures are essential. The design of the store layout and any associated warehouse can also ensure a reduction in all types of accidents. Many of these measures are valid for a range of workplaces.
9.3.2 Falls from work at height
These may be controlled by the use of suitable guardrails and barriers and also by the application of the hierarchy of controls discussed in Chapters 6 and 16 which is:
➤ remove the possibility of falling a distance that could cause personal injury (e.g. by undertaking the work at ground level)
Figure 9.3 Falling from a height – tower scaffold.
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➤ protect against the hazard of falling a distance that could cause personal injury (e.g. by using handrails)
➤ stop the person from falling a distance that could cause personal injury (e.g. by the provision of safety harnesses)
➤ mitigate the consequences of falling a distance that could cause personal injury (e.g. by the use of air bags).
The principal means of preventing falls of people or materials includes the use of fencing, guardrails, toe boards, working platforms, access boards and ladder hoops. Safety nets and safety harnesses should only be used when all other possibilities are not practical.
The use of banisters on open sides of stairways and handrails fi tted on adjacent walls will also help to pre- vent people from falling. Holes in fl oors and pits should always be fenced or adequately covered. Precautions should be taken when working on fragile surfaces (see Chapter 16 for details).
Permanent staircases are also a source of accidents included within this category of falling from a height and the following design and safety features will help to reduce the risk of such accidents:
➤ adequate width of the stairway, depth of the tread and provision of landings and banisters or handrails and intermediate rails. The treads and risers should always be of uniform size throughout the stair- case and designed to meet Building Regulations requirements for angle of incline (i.e. steepness of staircase)
➤ provision of non-slip surfaces and refl ective edging
➤ adequate lighting
➤ adequate maintenance
➤ special or alternative provision for disabled people (for example, personnel elevator at the side of the staircase).
Great care should be used when people are loading or unloading vehicles, as far as possible people should avoid climbing onto vehicles or their loads. For example sheet- ing of lorries should be carried out in designated places using properly designed access equipment.
9.3.3 Collisions with moving vehicles
These are best prevented by completely separating pedestrians and vehicles, providing well marked, pro- tected and laid out pedestrian walkways. People should cross roads by designated and clearly marked pedes- trian crossings. Suitable guardrails and barriers should be erected at entrances and exits from buildings and at ‘blind’ corners at the end of racking in warehouses.
Particular care must be taken in areas where lorries are
being loaded or unloaded. It is important that separate doorways are provided for pedestrians and vehicles and all such doorways should be provided with a vision panel and an indication of the safe clearance height, if used by vehicles. Finally, the enforcement of a sensible speed limit, coupled where practicable, with speed gov- erning devices, is another effective control measure.
9.3.4 Being struck by moving, falling or fl ying objects
These may be prevented by guarding or fencing the mov- ing part (as discussed in Chapter 9) or by adopting the measures outlined for construction work (Chapter 16).
Both construction workers and members of the public need to be protected from the hazards associated with falling objects. Both groups should be protected by the use of covered walkways or suitable netting to catch fall- ing debris where this is a signifi cant hazard. Waste mater- ial should be brought to ground level by the use of chutes or hoists. Waste should not be thrown from a height and only minimal quantities of building materials should be stored on working platforms. Appropriate personal pro- tective equipment, such as hard hats or safety glasses, should be worn at all times when construction operations are taking place.
It is often possible to remove high-level storage in offi ces and provide driver protection on lift truck cabs in warehouses. (See the section on fork lift trucks later in this chapter.) Storage racking is particularly vulnerable and should be strong and stable enough for the loads it has to carry. Damage from vehicles in a warehouse can easily weaken the structure and cause collapse. Uprights need protection, particularly at corners.
The following action can be taken to keep racking serviceable:
➤ inspect them regularly and encourage workers to report any problems
➤ post notices with maximum permissible loads and never exceed the loading
➤ use good pallets and safe stacking methods
➤ band, box or wrap articles to prevent items falling
➤ set limits on the height of stacks and regularly inspect to make sure that limits are being followed
➤ provide instruction and training for staff and special procedures for diffi cult objects.
9.3.5 Striking against fi xed or stationary objects
This can only be effectively controlled by:
➤ having good standards of lighting and housekeeping
➤ defi ning walkways and making sure they are used
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➤ the use of awareness measures, such as training and information in the form of signs or distinctive colouring
➤ the use of appropriate personal protective equip- ment, in some cases, as discussed previously.
9.3.6 General preventative measures for pedestrian hazards
Minimizing pedestrian hazards and promoting good work practices requires a mixture of sensible planning, good
housekeeping and common sense. A few of the required measures are costly or diffi cult to introduce and, although they are mainly applicable to slips, trips and falls on the same level and collisions with moving vehicles, they can be adapted to all types of pedestrian hazard. Typical measures include:
➤ develop a safe workplace as early as possible and ensure that suitable fl oor surfaces and lighting are selected and vehicle and pedestrian routes are care- fully planned. Lighting should not dazzle approaching Figure 9.4 (a) Typical warehouse vehicle loading/unloading area with separate pedestrian access; (b) barriers to prevent collision with tank surrounds/bunds.
(a)
(b)
Barriers to personnel walking into vehicle area Ground level
Vehicle area Barrier
High level
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stored products. Lighting is very important where there are changes of level or stairways. Any physical hazards, such as low beams, vehicular movements or pedestrian crossings, should be clearly marked.
Staircases need particular attention to ensure that they are slip resistant and the edges of the stairs marked to indicate a trip hazard
➤ consider pedestrian safety when re-orientating the workplace layout (e.g. the need to reposition lighting and emergency lighting)
➤ adopt and mark designated walkways
➤ apply good housekeeping principles by keeping all areas, particularly walkways, as tidy as possible and ensure that any spillages are quickly removed
➤ ensure that all workers are suitably trained in the correct use of any safety devices (such as machine guarding or personal protective equipment) or clean- ing equipment provided by the employer
➤ only use cleaning materials and substances that are effective and compatible with the surfaces being cleaned, so that additional slip hazards are not created
➤ ensure that a suitable system of maintenance, clean- ing, fault reporting and repair are in place and work- ing effectively. Areas that are being cleaned must be fenced and warning signs erected. Care must also be taken with trailing electrical leads used with the cleaning equipment. Records of cleaning, repairs and maintenance should be kept
➤ ensure that all workers are wearing appropriate foot- wear with the correct type of anti-slip soles suitable for the type of fl ooring
➤ consider whether there are signifi cant pedestrian hazards present in the area when any workplace risk assessments are being undertaken.