Queensland survey shows almost half of sites use dangerous methods
By Steve Skinner | March 27, 2013
The recent Sandown Drive Days organised by the Victorian Transport Association had a major focus on safe practices when loading and unloading trucks.
The impetus came from reports such as the one raised at Sandown after its recent release by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) titled Safe Handling When Securing Loads on Trucks.
Last year, WHSQ inspectors carried out more than 400 visits to a wide variety of freight sites across Queensland, observing the use of equipment and the practices involved in securing and releasing loads. WHSQ says they provided information and suggested solutions to drivers and employers.
In the middle of their sights – along with other OH&S professionals involved in freight – were dogs, and not the barking type. We’ve all heard the horror stories of what can happen to truckies when dog handles rebound, especially if they’ve got an extra pipe handle attached. Dogs are now banned by big steel companies.
“The campaign had a particular aim to quantify the prevalence of using fixed lever over-centre load tensioners (dogs) and lever extension bars (cheater bars) within the activity of tensioning chains and webbing,” the Queensland report says.
“High risk practices were noted in 48 percent of inspections,” it concludes.
“Some of the high risk practices observed included the use of dogs and cheater bars, worn or damaged load binders or winches, or where a single worker manually removes a gate which weighs over 12kg.
“This indicates that the industry is going some way to reducing risks but unacceptably high levels of risk are still widespread.”
“The data from the campaign shows that high risk practices are evident across all types of freight tasks and especially for steel and timber/logging. The use of dogs to tension chains is still common practice, particularly for steel and machinery.”
The report says placing lashings and corner protectors accounted for the highest proportion of high risk practices across all freight tasks – three quarters of these inspections found problems.
“This activity was considered high risk when the practices involved: throwing chains or lashing over the load; climbing on the truck to place the chains, webbing, or other lashings, tarpaulins or corner protectors over the load; or where other workers were at risk of being struck and injured.”
Safer methods are suggested in guides produced by both Queensland and Victoria, available on the internet and both with the same keywords: “Securing Loads On Trucks”.
Worksafe Victoria personnel demonstrated some of these alternative methods at the Sandown Drive Days, e.g non-rebounding chain tensioners such as ratchet turnbuckles with no kickback; and pull-down (rather than push-up) portable strap ratchets, used only between waist and shoulder height.
Newer technologies were also on display, e.g the ExTe Luftman air-operated load binder which continuously tensions after the load settles while driving; the steel-carrying trailer custom-built by Vawdrey for Metropolitan Express which prevents falls from the deck; and the Tranzgard aluminium handrail system, also for preventing falls.
You can read more about the VTA Sandown Drive Days in upcoming issues of ATN