Loading/Unloading 25th September / Adam Payton

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Loading/Unloading

How we used to do it…!

High risk activity, all common practice with little or no controls in place…

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The journey started…

reviewing our activities in the UK and in Europe;

• Exclusion zones

• Hauliers/Contractors

• Mobile Plant

• Height Safety

• Load Restraint

• Human Factors

• Delivery Plans

Loading/Unloading

A joint venture with Bluescope Steel…

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Loading/Unloading

Key Steps – Creation

• Output - Produced guidance

• Includes key steps to Un/loading safely

• Induction

• PPE

• Falling from Trucks

• Exclusion Zones

• Personal Risk Assessment

• Planning

• Large Goods Vehicles

• Mobile Plant

• Load Restraint

• Loading Teams

• Communication

• Can’t See, Can’t Work

• Pictorial, easy to understand instructions

• Includes case studies of previous incidents

• Backed up by specific guidance

• Exclusion Zones and more in depth

specific case studies and examples

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Loading/Unloading

Key Steps – Exclusion Zones

• The Red Zones

• The place where no person should

be during the loading/Unloading

process

• The Amber zones

• The place where there is still some

risk to persons, dependant on the

product being loaded or unloaded.

For example: beams are different to

coil therefore if they fall from a crane

or forklift they may not take the same

flight path.

• The Green zone

• The place where any person

involved in the loading or unloading

process is ‘Safe’ from harm.

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Loading/Unloading

Key Steps – Exclusion Zones

• The Red Zones

• The place where no person should

be during the loading/Unloading

process

• Think about the consequences of

Human error or Mechanical failure…

• What are the worst consequences?

The human error…

No person plans to make mistakes,

it’s just something human beings

do!

The mechanical failure…

No matter how well serviced or

maintained equipment is…

It can fail at anytime…

It should should never be relied

upon…

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Loading/Unloading

Key Steps – Exclusion Zones

• The Amber Zones

• The place where there is still some

risk to persons, dependant on the

product being loaded or unloaded.

For example: beams are different to

coil therefore if they fall from a crane

or forklift they may not take the same

flight path.

• Think about the consequences of

dropping the load from a crane or

forklift truck

• Think about the consequences if a

load has to be repositioned or altered

part way through…

Your amber zones may well overflow

into your safe zone if the safe zone is

close to the truck!

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Loading/Unloading

Key Steps – Exclusion Zones

• The Green Zones

• The place where any person

involved in the loading or unloading

process is ‘Safe’ from harm.

• The safe zone for any driver is a

place where…should any human

error or mechanical failure occur…

cannot be harmed…

• But remember… the driver still

wants/needs to be able to see his

truck….after all, the truck is his place

of work and he must care for it. He

wants to check that we do not

damage it.

• The safe zone is also close enough

so that the loader and the driver can

have a conversation if the load has

to be modified in anyway.

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Loading/Unloading

Key Steps – Safety Zones

Different look, same principle…

Examples of safe zones

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Loading/Unloading

Key Steps – Exclusion Zone, Barriers

Any exclusion is enhanced with barriers…

Better still…segregate processes and people

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Red Zones

Dangerous area.

Stay a minimum

of 2 Meters Away,

may be even

greater

depending on the

product

Amber Zones

Extra caution in

these areas. The

forklift truck driver

might not see you

Green Zones

Safe areas. The

forklift truck driver

can see you and

you can see

them.

Red Zone-

2 Meter Distance as a

minimum around a forklift

truck

Amber Zone-

Reduced

visibility for

a forklift

truck driver

Green Zone-

A safe area away from a

forklift truck

Forklift Truck Exclusion Zone

Loading/Unloading

Other applications of exclusion zone principles

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Red Zones

Dangerous area.

Stay a minimum

of 2 Meters Away,

may be even

greater

depending on the

product

Amber Zones

Extra caution in

these areas. The

risks increase in

these areas,

extra precautions

must be taken

Green Zones

Safe areas. The

green areas are a

safe haven for all

in the event of

something going

wrong

Crane Exclusion Zone

Amber Zone-

Increased

hazard zone,

extra caution

here

Green Zone-

A safe area away from a

Crane with a Load

Red Zone-

2 Meter Distance as a

minimum around a

load on a crane

Loading/Unloading

Other applications of exclusion zone principles

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Loading/Unloading

Exclusion Zone Summary

•An exclusion zone is a dynamic control as a result of a

thorough risk assessment of loading and unloading

activities

•Green zones are the safe place

•Red zones are the places where, if something goes

wrong, people are harmed