The third most common cause of accident and injury in the workplace is being struck by a moving object, with 10% of all non-fatal accidents being reported with this as the cause (HSE Statistics 2023/24). With workplace accidents and instances of work-related ill-health costing the UK £21.6 billion it’s surely a figure we all want to reduce.
In the last quarter of 2023, a fairground operator was fined £28,000 after pleading guilty to failing to ensure the health and safety of its workers, when an employee was struck by a moving car on a rollercoaster ride. Sadly, this case became a fatal accident when the worker later died of his injuries. Any death is one too many, and adequate health and safety could have prevented this tragedy.
In their subsequent investigation, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the employer had failed to carry out a “suitable and sufficient risk assessment” nor had they put proper controls in place to protect staff while rides were in operation.
Let’s have a look at what could be done in your business to reduce the risk of being struck by a moving object, and in doing so, protect your staff and reduce the risk of prosecution.
Risk assessments
The number one priority for keeping your staff safe when it comes to reducing the risk of being struck by a moving object, is a thorough risk assessment. The aim being to eliminate the risk, or where this is not practicable, to reduce the risk as much as possible.
The use of vehicles or other moving objects should be constantly managed and monitored to reduce the likelihood of accidents occurring. A basic necessity in workplaces with moving objects present, should include traffic routes that will allow vehicles and pedestrians to move safely. Best case scenarios would have completely separate route areas.
Risk assessments should consider what work area specific hazards are in situ. This could include items that are ejected from machines, or rolling barrels/kegs etc.
Controlled parking
Of course, many businesses do not operate large machinery or vehicles such as lorries or lift trucks. But there are other ways that moving objects can pose danger, for instance a staff carpark. This remains your responsibility to keep staff safe. Any business car park should consider how they can keep parked vehicles away from the flow of pedestrians traffic.
Think whether your staff carpark needs to be controlled. Uncontrolled parking areas can pose a risk to the safety of your staff, as pedestrians maybe forced onto vehicle routes. It may be necessary to use physical obstructions such as barriers or bollards to stop the flow of traffic into pedestrian areas.
Training
Staff who are operating vehicles should be adequately trained. This includes those using fork-lift trucks (FLT). FLT are involved in around one quarter of work place transport accidents and the majority are the result of lack of training or poor supervision.
The HSE has an Accepted Code of Practice (ACOP) and guidance which applies to the use of lift-trucks, which should be adhered to for anyone who is operating them. Here at the Health and Safety Department we pride ourselves on being safety experts. We can ensure that your business complies with all safety requirements to help keep your staff safe from harm and healthy at work.
Moving forward
If your business needs support with ensuring that your workers are safe when it comes to moving objects then get in touch today. We will get to know your business so that we can tailor exactly what you need to comply with health and safety laws, guidance and codes of practice.
Whether its risk assessments, training, or accident investigations, we are on hand to ensure your business is doing all it can to keep your staff safe and your business running. We have a range of eLearning courses covering health and safety topics. Why not check them out today?
