Truck Loading / Unloading

Eliminating the Risk 3rd August 14

Workers killed while loading or unloading cargo

In the 10 years 2003–12, 120 workers were killed during

loading/unloading activities involving a truck

88 (74%) were truck occupants.

44 workers died after being hit by a vehicle while undertaking loading

or unloading activities.

20 workers died when hit by falling cargo

15 instances a pedestrian worker was hit by a truck.

9 workers died while loading plant onto a truck.

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Truck-related worker fatalities involving loading/unloading 2003 to 2012

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Type of incident No. of fatalities Percentage

Hit by moving vehicle 44 37%

Hit by own vehicle 16 13%

Pedestrian worker hit by truck 15 13%

Truck driver hit by other vehicle 13 11%

Hit by falling cargo 20 17%

Fall from vehicle 15 13%

Loading plant onto tray of truck 9 8%

Vehicle overbalanced 7 6%

Trapped in lifting equipment 6 5%

Hitting overhead power lines 5 4%

Hit by falling ramp 4 3%

Explosion 3 3%

Other 6 5%

Total 120 100%

INCIDENTS - Normetals

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Unloading Fatality Ottoway - SA

Loading/Unloading Exclusion Zones (LUEZ -Guidelines) Loading/Unloading Safety – Review of Best Practice* review of aggregated data on

current practices identified three fundamental principles, recommending that it was

necessary to incorporate all three principles into any system of best practice control for

the management of loading/unloading safety.

These principles included:

1. That the forklifts, or other equipment, used for loading/unloading and the drivers,

and other pedestrians, should be segregated; and,

2. That authority for the area in which the loading/unloading activity is occurring should

reside with the forklift operator; and,

3. That if the driver ceases to be in the direct line of sight of the operator at any

stage during the loading/unloading activity, the loading/unloading activity should

immediately stop and not resume again until a direct line of sight is re-

established between the operator and the driver.

* Monash University Accident Research Centre – Loading/Unloading Safety – Review of Best Practice, david Taranto & Dr Peter Hillard – June 2010

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• Exclusion zones protect people

“Do not enter loading/unloading exclusion zone without permission of the loader/unloader, and not before loading/unloading has ceased.”

Loading/Unloading Exclusion Zones (LUEZ)

Permanent Loading unloading Exclusion Zones

When loading in non-painted areas the same systems apply. (Consider use of cones or mats to denote these zones)

RED ZONES (DANGER!)

NO-ONE must be in the Red Zone while a fork or crane is loading. CAN’T SEE / CAN’T LOAD A truck driver or any other person can only enter the exclusion zone when clearly instructed by the FORK or CRANE driver.

GREEN ZONES (SAFE)

Truck Driver can see & be seen, and is in full view at all times of the CRANE or

FORK DRIVER, and is completely clear of the

crane or fork and where the load may move or fall.

Note - Green Zone is always the same side as loading.

Temporary Exclusion Zones

Established by the use of cones

Innovation

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http://trucksafe.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/r1-2011-

luez-guidelines.pdf

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LUEZ Guidelines

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