I've been asked a question by a colleague who is having signs which fit onto road gantries delivered to a site. The signs will be delivered by a flatbed HIAB-type vehicle and the driver will require to work on the flatbed to remove the load restraints and to operate the HIAB in order to unload the signs. He's been told that unless the vehicle has a bar running either across the middle or along the length of it, where the driver can attach a harness, that his client (the site operator) will have to provide a cushioned surface in case a a fall from the vehicle. I've searched here & the HSE website & can't find anything remotely similar to that scenario mentioned anywhere. His client is insistent that there is a purge on these types of vehicles and operations and that bars or side edges must be fitted to flatbed vehicles, without which the cushioned area must be provided. The 'Falls From Vehicles' & 'Road Haulage' info leaflets obviously deal with general risk assessment and contain the info I'd expect (stepped access arrangements etc). Has anyone heard of a scenarion like this, or can point me in the direction of any information regarding bars for a fall arrest system on a flatbed vehicle? I've advised my colleague that he should probably ask his client where he's obtained this info from, but in the meantime I'd ask the question on here & see what info I could gather.

I've been through that & the rest of the info on the HSE website. All the info there is the obvious stuff about hierarchy of measures, proper equipment etc. What I'm trying to specifically find out is: 1. Does anyone know of a purge/campaign on the use of flatbed vehicles which insists that they must have sides fitted, or bars along the width or length to which fall arrest systems (harness) can be attached. 2. If a flat bed vehicle does not have these items either existing or retro-fitted, is anyone aware of any guidance which states that the recipent of the goods carried on the vehicle have to provide a cushioned area beneath the vehicle in case of a fall? I think my colleague's client has got this completely wrong, and that the usual risk assessment procedure should be gone through as described in the link you posted. The use of retro-fitetd ground controls, stepped access etc seem far more sensible than providing a "bean bag cushioned area below the vehicle", to quote the client's claims of what he will have to do! My colleague's waiting to hear back from his client to see where he got this info, but I said I'd double-check on here to see if anyone was aware of anything like this. There's definitely no scenario like this contained within any of the advice available on the HSE website.

Thanks John. In this case the client/site owner is claiming they have no option as that is what is required by an unspecified authority (implied it's the HSE). If you can remember the manufacturer of the walkway system that would be extremely helpful. I'll maybe have a search myself & see what I can find. Thanks again.

I think the answer you are looking for is 'no' the HSE do not specifically state that unloading flatbeds must take into account those measures, the HSE rarely stipulate anything (it always comes down to RA!!). However, a client can do what they want. Many of us have been faced with the 'problem' client who inists that something is done in a particular way (often an OTT way) and usually tries to state that it has to be done like that becuase the HSE says so (even when they don't). Client rules win I'm afraid.