You're no doubt aware of usual practice of using a hiab to drop palletised or bagged load in the drive or just over the garden wall (and the attendant unaddressed issues of public safety arising!) I'd be interested as to what type of material /goods you're talking about here?

Hi Ron, those are the bags ! Gravel, sand, ballast, rocks, you name it. I work for a pallet network so these things are bought over the internet and delivered by pallet and it is big business. Really they were designed for FLT and Hiab delivery, and before I started I wouldn't think they were delivered this way but this is reality. We need to work on delivering as safely as possible, hence the question. In an ideal world they would be all handled mechanically, so I would like to hear peoples opinions are on handling 1 tonne bags via tail lift and pallet truck ! Most of the time the customer is expecting a hiab, so more info should be given to the customer for a start.

Paul - as I am sure you are aware - the 'guidelines' are intended for hard, level surfaces - not gravel driveways or wobbly cobbles. Anyone attempting to move a small wheel pallet truck on this sort of terrain whilst loaded with close on a ton - IS going to suffer injuries of one sort or another. Sooner rather than later. Way over any sensible 'guideline' values. Simply way over. If you need to 'prove' it - get a load cell connected between a fork lift and the pallet truck handle and see what effort is REALLY needed to push / pull / steer the damn thing on various 'real life' terrain samples.! But I genuinely do not understand why it should be thought necessary - am I alone in seeing this as an outrageous way of trying to do things? If the work is that valuable - get your employer to design a purpose built delivery system (Perhaps a (strong) buggy cart pulled by a battery powered caravan shifter?)

I have to agree. Hopefully either the insurance company or HSE will knock this on the head before someone's life is ruined. I sympathise with you (as you say you are in the middle) I suggest you try to get the insurance company involved so its not you delivering the bad news.

Hi Paul - if you have not done so already do a full MH assessment to back up your thoughts - the tool on the HSE website is good and leads you through the process - you will be supported in your thoughts then by hard evidence. http://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/mac/ HTH Stuart

Ron, you know that as I do. I was always taught to back up with evidence; do the assessment and prove it maybe the powers that be don't (want to?) understand? Stuart

I'm not surprised they get injured, but I am surprised they actually manage to get any delivery up a drive way. Gravel aside, some tar drives the wheels would just sink into wouldn't they. So you have some employee built like Guss the gorilla (afraid for their job), pulling a 1 ton weight on a pallet truck, cutting a nice trench as they go or cracking all those nice herring bone pattern bricks. Wow When you say you can't use powered trucks, you mean cost too much ? How much is a new drive?