Hi Darragh,

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (No. 10 of 2005) places a duty on employers to manage and conduct their work activities in such a manner as to ensure the safety, health and welfare of employees. One of the requirements of the Act is that a risk assessment is carried out by the employer or person in control of the place of work. Transport hazards that exist in the workplace must be assessed and appropriate steps taken to eliminate or reduce any risks found.

Note that vehicles are defined as a place of work under the Act. Hence, under Section 8 of the Act, the employer must ensure so far as reasonably practicable that:

• Vehicles are designed, provided and maintained in a condition that is safe and without risk to health
• Safe means of access and egress to and from the vehicle is designed, provided and maintained
• Systems of work are planned, organised, performed, maintained and revised as appropriate, for example safe systems of work must be available for vehicle loading and unloading activities
• Information, instruction, training and supervision is provided for all employees who operate workplace transport

Under Part 2 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 299 of 2007), which is applicable to fixed workplace premises, employers are required to ensure that pedestrians and vehicles can move in a safe manner and that traffic routes are clearly identified and appropriately dimensioned. Traffic rules for mobile work equipment are also required.

The following questions need to be answered as part of the Traffic Management Risk Assessment on your site again the list is non-exhaustive.

Traffic Control

When you plan a traffic route, your risk assessment should include answers to these questions:
• Where does the traffic route go?
• What potential hazards are on the route?
• Is the road surface suitable for the load?
• Does the route slope?

Hazards

Hazards along a route may include:
• bends
• junctions
• fuel or chemical tanks or pipes
• gates or barriers
• overhead electricity cables
• any unprotected edge from which vehicles could fall, or where they could become unstable, such as unfenced edges of elevated weighbridges, loading bays or excavations
• anything that might collapse or be left in a dangerous condition if a vehicle hits it
• anything that might catch on or dislodge a load

To avoid these hazards:
• Minimise road and route junctions
• Provide clear signed warning of any height or width restriction – both in advance and at the obstruction itself
• Protect dangerous obstructions with goalposts, height gauge posts or barriers
• If gates or barriers are to stay open, secure them in position

Route Gradient

A steep gradient can affect:
• the driver's ability to handle the vehicle (especially if the surface is slippery)
• how easily spills can be contained
• how easy it is to manage wheeled objects such as waste containers, roll cages or pallet handlers.

Some vehicles can become unstable on slopes. Examples include:
• some lift trucks
• raised-tipper lorries
• raised-body tankers involved in
transferring powder or bulk solids
• vehicles with a trailer containing liquids (such as a bowser or a slurry tanker), but without effective baffles to stop the liquid surging around.

For road tanker loading and unloading, a maximum gradient of 1 in 30 is recommended to make sure the vehicle moves as little as possible, and help to contain any spillages.

Steep slopes can also make loads less stable, especially if the loads are stacked or if they are unstable anyway (for example, wire coils or reels, barrels). Take care that loads moved on slopes cannot move dangerously.

Even where vehicles can safely use sloping surfaces, avoid slopes steeper than 1 in
10.

Regards,
Paul