Customer's employee struck by reversing lorry
LOCATION:
CONSTRUCTION/DELIVERY SITE
ACTIVITY:
TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS / DELIVERY
TITLE
Customer's employee struck by reversing lorry
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
WHAT HAPPENED
Whilst reversing a Hanson franchised tipper lorry onto a construction site, a site employee’s arm became trapped between a telegraph pole and the body of the truck, resulting in severe cuts to the employee’s right arm.
At around 0745 hrs on the 28th September 2005, a Hanson lorry arrived at a construction site in Daventry to deliver pea gravel. An articulated lorry was already making a delivery on site so the Hanson driver was told to wait off-site until the area was clear. The articulated lorry left site shortly after and a site employee called to the Hanson driver to begin his reversing manoeuvre onto the site.
The site employee then assisted the driver by directing him from the rear off-side of the lorry. The site employee was wearing hi-visibility clothing, however, the Hanson driver could only see the employees arm as he reversed. As the truck reversed up and over the kerb onto site it is thought the body of the truck lurched, and unfortunately it seems the site employee may have been positioned close the truck body and a telegraph pole, at that time.
The Hanson driver was then instructed to stop by another waiting lorry driver. He was then reversed onto the site by another site employee, when he was told to wait as an ambulance was on its way to site. He was later told by the other waiting lorry driver of what had happened. The injured employee was taken to hospital where his injured arm was treated with 11 stitches and also clips to secure the wound. He was unable to return to work that day.
This incident highlights several failings:
- The driver could not fully see the site employee as he reversed.
- The site employee may not have been fully aware of the risks to health and safety whilst reversing the lorry.
- Site access was very tight, and there is evidence that other vehicles have struck the telegraph pole at the site entrance.
- The site employee may have been too close to the body of the truck as it reversed, resulting in him quickly, and unexpectedly becoming trapped.
ACCIDENT / INCIDENT IMAGES
Click image to enlarge
Site entrance
LEARNING POINTS / ACTIONS TAKEN
Learning Points.
1) All Hanson drivers must ensure that they can fully see anyone who is acting as a banks-man during reversing operations.
2) The customer’s health and safety department are investigating this incident and further learning points may be identified at a later stage.
3) This incident could have resulted in a much more serious incident had the site employee fell under the wheels of the reversing lorry.
LEARNING POINTS / ACTIONS IMAGES
LOCATION:
CONSTRUCTION/DELIVERY SITE
ACTIVITY:
TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS / DELIVERY
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