Vehicles as a workplace

Vehicle roll-aways

Whenever a vehicle has not been safely immobilised, it can roll away, potentially resulting in property damage, or serious injury or death to workers and others. A person can also be seriously injured or killed when they try to enter or exit a vehicle that has started to roll away.

Roll-away incidents can happen when, for example:

• a vehicle’s brakes are not adequately applied or engaged
• a vehicle is parked on an incline with brakes not engaged properly
• the braking system fails or isn’t maintained properly
• a vehicle is started while in-gear
• vehicle controls are used accidentally
• wheels are not correctly immobilised
• a vehicle is parked on a surface that isn’t level
• workers lack sufficient information, instruction and training on how to correctly immobilise vehicles.

Any type of vehicle can roll away, including cars, forklifts, trucks, tractors and trailers, passenger vehicles and heavy machinery.

PCBU actions

PCBUs must first aim to eliminate the risk of vehicle roll-aways, for example, by organising the work so that vehicles are not needed in the workplace. If this is not reasonably practicable, PCBUs must minimise the risk by doing one or more of the following:

• ensuring the provision and maintenance of safe plant (e.g. ensure maintenance, inspection and testing of plant is carried out by a competent person)
• ensuring the safe use, handling, storage and transport of plant (e.g. ensure plant that is not in use is left in a state that does not create a risk to the health and safety of any person)
• using concrete barriers or overhead walkways to separate mobile plant from workers
• establishing a clearly marked exclusion zone around the vehicle
• using wheel chocks
• installing park brake alarm systems, where possible
• ensuring appropriate load support (e.g. stands or lifting devices) is supplied and used for work under heavy vehicles and trailers
• ensuring there are procedures and safe systems in place for safe immobilisation of vehicles when exiting and working around vehicles; conducting maintenance; coupling and decoupling trailers; and when a vehicle breaks down
• ensuring site inductions include information about safe immobilisation of vehicles
• ensuring workers receive training and instruction on safely immobilising vehicles
• conducting regular toolbox talks on the control measures available to prevent vehicle roll-aways
• ensuring any plant attachments are on the ground.

For more information, see:

• Comcare | Preventing vehicle roll-aways – Information for PCBUs (PDF, 1.0 MB)
• Comcare | Safely immobilising vehicles self-assessment tool (PDF, 257.1 KB)
• Safe Work Australia | Prevention of vehicle roll-aways and safe immobilisation
• WorkSafe Qld | Safely immobilising heavy vehicles and trailers checklist (PDF, 0.46 MB)

Worker actions

Workers should receive adequate information, instruction and training to ensure they:

• know how to use any safety features, such as park brake warning systems
• park vehicles on a flat, level and hard surface instead of on the street or on a slope
• properly engage and apply the park brake before exiting the vehicle
• use wheel chocks where appropriate
• never attempt to enter a vehicle that has started to roll away
• turn the engine off and remove keys before exiting the vehicle
• follow any guidance, training and instructions for the safe operation of the vehicle
• report any problems immediately and ask for information about how and when the issue will be addressed.

For more information, see:

• Comcare | Preventing vehicle roll-aways – Information for workers (PDF, 740.3 KB)
• SafeWork NSW | Safety Around Your Vehicle Glove Box Guide

Road traffic safety

The use of vehicles in road traffic is one of the most critical workplace risks that PCBUs must manage, regardless of whether vehicle use is incidental to or a major part of the PCBU’s operations.

PCBU actions

PCBUs have a duty to eliminate or minimise, so far as is reasonably practicable, risks to workers and others when workers drive a vehicle in road traffic for work purposes or a work activity.

Road safety risks can be eliminated by avoiding work-related travel (such as by meeting online) or minimised by substituting driving with safer modes of transport. Where this is not practicable, PCBUs should implement controls to minimise the risks, such as:

Policies

• Develop, implement and maintain a Road Safety Policy that is embedded in existing WHS policies
• Purchase and maintain a safe and roadworthy fleet (where relevant)
• Establish appropriate rules and standards for safe road use (including speed limits for travel and manoeuvres), taking into account any relevant load factor
• Hold workers accountable for breaches of WHS and road traffic legislation and the PCBU’s Road Safety Policy.

Systems

Ensure appropriate safe systems of work are in place and that they are regularly monitored, reviewed and, if necessary, revised. These should include systems to ensure:

• workers are competent to conduct the work and are not impaired – this should include instructions, information about the work, mentoring and assessment, toolbox talks and refresher training, even for experienced workers
• regular vehicle inspections, servicing and maintenance are undertaken by suitably competent persons in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.

Information and consultation

Consulting with and providing information, instruction and training to workers are obligations under the WHS Act and are central to effective road traffic safety. PCBUs should:

• ensure workers are educated and trained about safe road behaviours, and that they understand the risks and how they will be controlled
• consult with workers on any Road Safety Policies or other safety documents
• facilitate open communication channels so that workers can raise issues if they feel unsafe.

Worker actions

Workers should receive adequate information, instruction and training to ensure they:

• have a valid licence for the vehicle they will be operating
• plan their journey and tell their manager their planned route and estimated arrival time
• check the vehicle before starting the journey
• don’t drive if they are tired or impaired by medication, or if they have consumed alcohol or drugs
• pull over and rest in a safe place if tired – ideally have a 15 to 20 minute nap
• comply with all road rules
• stay under the speed limit, follow advisory speed signs and drive to conditions
• avoid using hands-free mobile phones when driving, and never use a hand-held mobile phone
• take extra care around heavy vehicles
• report any crashes, near misses and infringements when travelling for work
• top travelling and tell their employer if they feel unsafe at any time.

Road transport industry

The road transport industry includes the transport of freight by road and the operation of public transport such as buses, hire cars, taxis and ride share to transport passengers. It is a high-risk industry due to hazards such as:

• time pressures
• faulty or unroadworthy vehicles, trucks, trailers, equipment and mobile plant
• environmental factors such as bad weather, poor road surfaces, limited visibility, sun position and the unpredictability of other road users
• shift work, fatigue and lack of physical activity
• poor vehicle design
• manual handling of heavy weights
• working at height
• exposure to gases and fumes.

PCBU actions

Under the WHS  Act, road transport operators must identify hazards and assess the risks those hazards create. To eliminate or minimise risk, they should:

• time and schedule work to account for speed limits and reduce risks such as fatigue
• regularly maintain and inspect all vehicles, trucks, trailers, equipment and mobile plant
• ensure all workers are licensed and adequately trained for the vehicles and/or mobile plant they are operating and the tasks that they will be undertaking
• develop and implement safe systems of work and safety procedures in consultation with other relevant duty holders, workers and any health and safety representatives.

Other laws

Road transport operators are also subject to other laws, standards, codes and guidelines, such as:

• National Heavy Vehicle Law and Regulations
• Australian Road Rules administered by the states and territories
• Australian Light Vehicle Standards Rules
• Australian Defence Force Road Transport Exemption framework

For more information, see:

• National Transport Commission
• National Heavy Vehicle Regulator

Traffic management

Wherever vehicles, mobile plant (such as forklifts) and pedestrians interact, there is potential for serious injury or death of both workers and others. Effective traffic management arrangements reduce these risks. Traffic management should be tailored to the unique work environment, and involve planning and controlling the movement of people and goods including:

• both stationary and moving traffic
• pedestrians
• cyclists
• all types of vehicles, including plant.

Identify hazards and assess risks

To identify hazards and assess and control the risks, PCBUs should:

• look around the workplace to identify areas where people and vehicles interact or where work is close to public areas
• review the floor plan and identify overhead structures
• review CCTV footage
• review work tasks, design and management, including vehicle types and heights, where loading and unloading occurs, where vehicles park, the road surface they need, and where they enter and exit
• review incident and injury records, including near misses
• identify blind spots, areas of poor visibility, and times when there are high volumes of traffic
• ask workers, drivers and pedestrians about any traffic management problems they have encountered at the workplace.

Develop a traffic management plan

PCBUs who use vehicles, powered mobile plant, or other load shifting equipment should develop and implement a traffic management plan (TMP) in consultation with workers. A TMP outlines how traffic risks will be managed to ensure safety and minimise disruptions. It typically includes:

• the desired flow of pedestrian and vehicle movements
• the expected frequency of interaction of vehicles and pedestrians
• control measures for each expected interaction including illustrations of the layout of barriers, walkways, signs and general arrangements to warn and guide traffic around, past, or through a work site or temporary hazard
• how short term, mobile work and complex traffic situations will be managed
• responsibilities of people managing traffic in the workplace
• responsibilities of people expected to interact with traffic in the workplace, and
• instructions or procedures for controlling traffic including in an emergency.

Each worker should be familiar with the TMP and receive information, instruction, training and supervision on its use.

PCBUs should monitor the TMP and review it regularly and after any incidents. In workplaces with a traffic management consultative committee, the committee should monitor and review the TMP.

Control measures

There are various specific traffic management control measures that PCBUs can implement to eliminate or reduce risks.

Eliminating risks

The best way to eliminate risk is by not introducing a hazard into a workplace. PCBUs can also eliminate risks by removing an existing hazard. For example, for work carried out on or near a road, it may be practicable to eliminate traffic risks by closing the road and not allowing traffic through the worksite. In loading and unloading zones, PCBUs can eliminate the risk posed by reversing vehicles by using drive-through loading and unloading systems, multi-directional mobile plant or rotating cabins.

Separate vehicles and people

Isolate the hazard by providing separate traffic routes for pedestrians and vehicles. Ideally, the barriers used to separate people from plant and vehicles will be permanently fixed, difficult to override and constructed to protect everyone. Where practicable, PCBUs should introduce a one-way system, minimising the need for vehicles to reverse.

Where it is not reasonably practicable to  separate people and vehicles, consider:

• fitting vehicles with presence sensing devices to automatically control vehicle movement and speed in the presence of pedestrians
• installing gates or temporary barriers to separate vehicles from people
• organising and timing work so people and vehicles are not in the same area at the same time
• providing separate entrances and exits for vehicles where possible
• installing mirrors and vision panels in pedestrian doors entering vehicle areas
• setting up clear crossing points for vehicles and people by installing dropped kerbs, barriers, deterrent paving or tactile surfaces
• establishing exclusion and safety zones such as forklift-only areas in loading bays, or pedestrian-only areas near offices and amenities
• locating delivery areas away from pedestrians or work activities
• clearly marking vehicle areas with signs or reflective paint to warn pedestrians
• clearly marking pedestrian walkways and crossings with paint or bollards
• ensuring adequate lighting is installed around key points such as entrances, driveways, pedestrian walkways, vehicle access points, and loading and unloading zones
• installing stairs, ramps or walkways for pedestrians and drivers, away from the loading and unloading areas
• using signs for speed limits and hazards such as forklift operating areas and exclusion zones
• requiring workers to wear high visibility clothing
• equipping vehicles with warning devices such as flashing lights and audible reversing alarms
• installing non-slip surfaces for pedestrians
• providing drivers with adequate instructions on traffic management plans, exclusion zones and site-specific rules for delivery and pickup locations.

Internal vehicle routes

Ideally, work sites should have a one-way system with separate entry and exit points. Where this is not reasonably practicable, PCBUs should consider:

• providing separate entry and exit points specifically for larger vehicles or mobile plant
• ensuring surfaces are suitable (for example, bitumen, concrete or other suitable smooth non-slip material) and maintained
• ensuring routes are flat and reducing any gradient as much as possible
• clearly signposting and guarding any steep gradients
• operating mobile plant on gradients only if the manufacturer specifies they are able to do so
• avoiding sharp corners and blind bends
• keeping routes clear of obstructions, grease, slippery surfaces, surface damage and potholes
• ensuring routes are wide enough for the safe movement of the largest vehicle including their load, taking into account turning circles, stopping distances, and reversing
• eliminating the need for vehicles to reverse, so far as reasonably practicable
• managing queuing vehicles with enough space so queues do not impact on other traffic or block emergency exits, for example, with a queuing time slot system
• using a gatehouse to control traffic time slots.

Reducing speed

Reducing speed is very important where administrative control measures are the only reasonably practicable approach. To determine speed limits for the workplace, a risk assessment should be conducted in consultation with workers and any health and safety representatives. Consider the route layout and its usage. For example, lower speeds will be appropriate where pedestrians are present or where forklifts and vehicles share a traffic route. Speed limits should be enforced, and traffic calming devices like speed humps considered. Variations to speed limits should be clearly signposted.

Safe crossings

If pedestrians need to cross vehicle routes in the workplace, consider managing the risks by:

• installing interlocked gates or gates with warning devices
• installing physical barriers or rails
• installing traffic light systems or having a competent person direct traffic clearly marking pedestrian crossings with ground markings, lights or signs
• establishing procedures indicating who has right of way at crossings
• ensuring both pedestrians and vehicles have good visibility (for example, pallet goods should not be stored in a way that blocks vision).

Parking areas

Parking areas may be required for workers, visitors, large vehicles such as trucks, and other vehicles and plant used in the workplace.

Consider designing parking areas that:

• are away from the flow of vehicles and pedestrians around the workplace
• are away from busy work areas (for passenger vehicles)
• are close to the entry and administration office
• have walkways leading to and from, which are separated from vehicles or vehicle routes (for example, with barriers or bollards)
• are easy to drive into and out of, ideally without reversing
• are clearly marked and signposted, well-lit and unobstructed
• have devices aimed at reducing vehicle speed (for example, speed humps).

To prevent roll-aways in parking areas, vehicles should be parked on level ground with the brake firmly applied, preferably in a designated parking area. Where it is not possible to park on level ground, install wheel humps in parking areas to prevent vehicles rolling away.

Administrative procedures can be put into place to reinforce safe practices when temporarily parking a vehicle or powered mobile plant, for example:

• turn the wheels toward a safe stopping place like a curb or a wall so the vehicle or equipment does not accidentally roll away.
• avoid parking light vehicles behind large powered mobile plant or in areas where the driver does not have clear visibility of the powered mobile plant.

Loading and unloading vehicles

Working around powered mobile plant and other vehicles during loading and unloading activities creates a risk to the health and safety of drivers, workers, contractors and other people. Consider the following control measures:

• Designate pedestrian exclusion zones in loading and unloading areas and mark them clearly with signs, reflective paint, cones or physical barriers such as bollards, fences, gates or chains.
• Provide effective ways to warn of loading in progress to other plant operators, drivers, and pedestrians. Warning devices can include signage, cones, lights, alarms and horns.
• Ensure visitors and visiting drivers are aware of the workplace layout, the route they should take and safe working procedures.
• Unless the system of work requires the driver to remain in the cabin, designate a safety zone for the driver and ensure they can be seen by the plant operator at all times.
• Provide drivers with safe access to amenities away from loading areas or other vehicular traffic.
• Provide a dedicated rest area with seating for long loading times to reduce driver fatigue.
• Introduce clear and effective communication systems between the plant operator and the driver (for example, hand signals or two-way radios).
• Have effective ways to stop vehicles from moving during loading and unloading activities including the use of:
  • vehicle or trailer restraints
  • dock locks
  • air brake isolation interlock devices
  • traffic lights
  • barriers or other ‘stop’ signals
  • systems for controlling access to vehicle keys or the cabin
  • safe systems of work that ensure the driver is aware of when it is safe to leave.

If it is not possible to design the workplace so vehicles loading and unloading do not cross pedestrian routes, other control measures should be put in place to minimise the risk of the loading vehicle colliding with pedestrians.

Reversing vehicles

If reasonably practicable, eliminate the need for vehicles to reverse by using drive-through loading and unloading systems, multi-directional mobile plant and rotating cabins. If there is no alternative and vehicles need to reverse, consider:

• fitting vehicles with devices such as reversing cameras, rotating lights or audible reversing alarms.
• fixing mirrors at blind corners and other areas to aid visibility.
• using a person to direct the reversing vehicle if they cannot see behind clearly – this person should be in visual contact. with the driver at all times and wear high visibility clothing.
• keep non-essential workers away from reversing areas.
• ensure reversing areas are well-lit and clearly marked with signs or line markings.

Signs and road markings

Use clear road markings such as reflective paint and signs to alert pedestrians and vehicle operators to traffic hazards. Signs should indicate:

• where to enter the workplace
• exclusion and safety zones
• parking and no parking zones
• speed limits
• where to report on arrival
• vehicle crossings
• blind corners
• steep gradients.

Regularly check and maintain signs and road markings so they can be easily seen and read.

Lighting

Traffic routes, manoeuvring areas and yards should be well-lit with particular attention to junctions, buildings, walkways and vehicles routes. Where possible, they should be designed to avoid extreme light variation (movement between bright and dull light).