Tail lift and palletised goods delivery involves risks and can cause significant injury. Injuries occur when companies fail to examine these risks and consider the health and safety of drivers.
Members of the Exchange should exercise caution, assess risks and use their knowledge and experience to look after their safety and the safety of others while carrying out loads.
Please always take care especially when, loading and unloading goods, operating machinery, dealing with heavy loads, moving or overturning vehicles and working at height.
To help our members identify risk and avoid serious injury, we have put together the following guidance. We advise all members to keep any documentation relating to risk and to use equipment addressed in the following guidance:
1. Reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury by using the appropriate equipment. Electrically powered pallet trucks rather than manual pallet trucks, for example.
2. Carry out risk assessments of all hazardous pallet handling operations undertaken with an unpowered pallet truck, the tail lift condition and pallet truck usage. Assess other equipment like tail lifts to establish the risks involved in these activities, such as weight, size and scale of the pallets.
3. Safe systems of work must be established, enforced and reviewed.
4. Ensure all staff are given appropriate training, instructions, and support to be empowered and competent to assess the conditions at the collection and delivery point. They should know how to carry out a risk assessment in unusual or unforeseen circumstances, be confident enough to stop the delivery if unsafe, and know the company will support their decision.
5. Operatives should be monitored to ensure they follow the protocols. If they can't perform these tasks safely, the company should take appropriate action.
6. All equipment used must be maintained, serviced, and regularly inspected to ensure it remains in good condition; documenting this process is essential. Staff should be encouraged to report any defective or damaged equipment promptly.
Employers have responsibilities under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) to ensure that work equipment is appropriate for use, inspected, and maintained. More information can be found on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website.