Posted By Stefan Daunt

He,
We need a bit more information really before a constructive comment can be made. Types of vehicles, surroundings, pedestrians, licencing, driver training etc. If you can supply more we can start there.

Posted By graeme12345
Robert is this "shunting" as in, e.g. pushing a skip about with a JCB / vehicle

whats being shunted / it's weight / to where / is this at regular intervals / can it be done another, safer way.
Who owns whats being shunted.
What is doing the shunting/ weight.
is driver competent for normal vehicle use.
Are all inspections/tests in place for the vehicle doing the shunting.
ID who may be at risk.
ID what the dangers are for employees involved in the task.
control them.
supervise/monitor them.
record the above

Posted By SteveD-M
Coupling and uncoupling does vary - the type of fifth wheel coupling the type of vehicle etc.

That is why the The Society of Operations Engineers (SOE)& Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE) has produced a code of practice listing 5 different coupling procedures including draw-bar trailers.

Posted By Anderson8
Hi,

A shunter unit is a bit different from the usual units we see on the road, they usually have modified mirrors, bigger platforms for standing on due to the frequency of the driver climbing on them, hand rails and anti slip flooring. Many also have a light on the dashboard to tell the driver if there is a problem with the trailer connection. From my experience slips and trips are a common accident, in particular with fuel and water contamination of steps, and also the wearing away of platform surfaces. As one thread pointed out, short cuts tend to creep in too, such as drivers not connecting all the air lines to save time leaving the trailer with no brakes and relying on the shunter breaks.

Hope this helps!

Posted By Ian_P
Just a quicky,

HSE have a document INDG312 detailing how to park, couple / uncouple a vehicle safely. It's well worth getting hold of and including in your Risk Assessment / Training etc. Unfortunately people are still getting seriously injured, and even killed, from not following basic procedures properly. I bet everyone in the transport industry has come accross occasions where drivers take short cuts like "dropping the red line"......

Also, look at the 'falls from vehicles' section of the HSE website - surely one of the more common dangers facing shunters.

www.hse.gov.uk/fallsfromvehicles/

The workplace transport section is also useful for vehicle segregation etc.

www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport/

It is true that many large, modern distribution centres have purpose built shunting vehicles which are specificly adapted for the job. It older or smaller businesses however, it is often normal tractor units that are used for shunting. Make sure these are up for the job and ideally you should adapt them with wide angle mirrors, beacons, and even alarms for when a cab is left withough the parking brake on.

Sorry for brief "brainstormed" post but I'm in a rush - hope it make sense! I'll add more if the thread hasn't already given you all the information you need by the time I next log on!

Best Regards,
Ian

Posted By Edward H
HSE publication HSG136 "Workplace Transport Safety" states in paragraph 626 -
"We recommend that the same (or higher) standards that are needed to drive on public roads should apply to choosing people employed to drive in the workplace.... drivers of large or heavy goods vehicles...be aged 21 or over and have passed the appropriate test."

Posted By dipsy2308
I would like to know what the situation is with regards to moving rigid HGV's in our yard area and the training required? also if the person being trained has to have at least a car licence prior to driving the HGV?



thanks Karl.

Posted By Anderson8
Hi Karl,

Depends how you look at it mate, there is no legal requirement for the licence if they are off the public highway, however there are legal requirements for the individual to be trained to use any work equipment, and the vehicles would certainly come into that bracket. I think licenced operators would be my preference,but this does not guarantee they are competent as we all know there are a lot of bad drivers out there, so along with any additional vehicle familirisation, yard and site training would be a good start, and maybe some periodic driver assessment, and following any incidents etc. Also consider health surveillance, such as eye tests and other tests associated with driving HGVs.

Hope this helps mate

Posted By Karl Davidson
Thanks for the information!

Posted By D H
I note the original poster has not responded to the people who have answered - especially to those asking for more information to give a more detailed response.

A bit rude in my opinion??

Dave