Hi guys, At a recent safety meeting it was mentioned that the training company had instructed the drivers of the loading shovel that the keys were not to be left in the ignition if the driver left the loader. This is to say that any time he was geting out, the driver would have to stop the engine and remove the key from the ignition, he said this was a regulation! We have since being trying to find out if this is in fact true and have not as yet got an answer. We have asked him for clarification and where this regulation is. He has changed opinion and left the issue some what unclear. Can anyone shed some light on this for us? I assume it may be good practice to do so but the problem is the machine has a turbo charge and so requires rest time of about 15 minutes before turning off the engine. as you can see this leads to a lot of problems. Bascially the machine is working non stop through the day and only left unattended for short periods. The organisation is a small recycling facility with only a few employees of which only 2 can drive. Advice and pointing in the right direction would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Reg 28(a) of PUWER 98 states "Every employer shall ensure that, where self-propelled work equipment may, while in motion, involve risk to the safety of persons - (a) it has facilities for preventing its being started by an unauthorised person;" Removal of the key prevents unauthorised use. Thus we have the "Safe Stop" procedure: - handbrake on - all controls in neutral - stop engine - remove key. Indeed, many accidents with mobile plant are caused simply by unauthorised use. I can recall investigating an accident to the operator of a combine harvester who was attending to the straw walkers at the rear of the machine whilst the machine was stopped but had left the key in the ignition. His employer drove into the field and seeing the combine idle and with no sign of his driver decided he must have somehow been called away and jumped on and started up the machine. The farmer's explanation was that he needed to get on with the harvest! Turbo-assisted machines require a stipulated rundown period and this must mean that, wherever unauthorised use might be possible (other employees, visitors, public, children), the operator must remain within sight and sound of his machine until he has eventually removed the key.