SAFETY
management system within workplace
environments, for example, de ning the
required energy absorption requirements
and considering possible penetration of
walkways, for example by the forks of a lift
truck.
ROUTES TO SAFETY
“While vehicles can be readily con ned
to designated routes, it is important
that pedestrian routes be planned to
correspond to the natural desire lines
across the site. Doorway entrances
should never open up to a pedestrian
crossing point, and gates should open
towards the pedestrian, to create a pause
in pedestrian movement before leaving
the pedestrian zone.”
Penalties for failing to meet HSE
requirements are harsh, and as David
Goss explains, the HSE has shown a
willingness to prosecute negligent
companies. In February 2020, postal
carrier UK Mail was ned £400,000 after
it admitted breaching the Health and
Safety at Work Act 1974, following an
incident in which two employees were
injured in separate incidents. In the rst,
an operations administrator sorting
returned parcels was struck by a forklift
truck, sustaining a fractured skull and
bleed between the skull and brain. In the
second incident, a warehouse operative
was inspecting a parcel when a forklift
truck hit the left side of her body. She
su ered nerve damage to her left arm and
super cial leg and hip injuries. The HSE
found the company failed to ensure there
was e ective segregation of pedestrians
and vehicles in the workplace. There were
no pedestrian walkways for employees to
navigate across the warehouse safely.
In addition to segregation, route
marking and the use of barriers, the
wearing of high-vis clothing and PPE,
sta training and visitor brie ng and
management are also critical to ensure
pedestrian safety around MHE and
vehicles.
TECH SOLUTIONS
The use of technology is now playing a
more prominent role in protecting people
from moving objects. “Segregation
through separate routes for vehicles and
pedestrians is the most e ective way to
avoid accidents, but space and location
limitations mean this is not always
possible,” says David Thomas, general
manager at proximity warning and alert
systems provider ZoneSafe.
Proximity warning systems, such
as those supplied by ZoneSafe
and manufactured by Avonwood
Developments, claim to make segregation
possible in any workplace, regardless
of site layout or space available. The
ZoneSafe system applies radio frequency
identi cation (RFID) technology to create
a detection zone around hazards and
high-risk areas, including vehicle, plant,
crossing points, walkways and drop
zones. Interactive wearable tags worn by
personnel or tted to assets are triggered
by proximity breaches and automatically
deliver an audio/visual alarm that alerts
users to potential safety risks.
ZoneSafe’s proximity warning system
features 360º detection of proximity
tags; single or multiple detection zones
and detection of proximity tags up to 10
metres distant. It is said to work around
blind corners and obstructions, and
options include vehicle detection, access
control and activated signage. The
system has cloud-based management
tools with data dashboard, analytics,
reports and alerts.
Thomas says proximity warning
systems help to raise situational
awareness and are an e ective tool in
changing workplace behaviours. ZoneSafe
collects and collates event data for later
analysis. He adds: “By understanding
how and why events occur, organisations
can proactively identify operational
weaknesses, tailor training programmes
and address procedural issues and unsafe
practise. This valuable insight can then be
used to drive positive behavioural changes
within the operation.”
The sobering accident and fatality
statistics published by the HSE
demonstrate the need for continued
e orts by employers to segregate
pedestrian employees from areas and
routes where plant, material handling
equipment or vehicles are operating,
or where they could be struck by falling
objects. Where pedestrians must work
within hazardous zones, there should be
measures in place to protect them. This is,
after all, a legal requirement.
DOWN-TO-EARTH ADVICE
Where employees could be at risk of being struck by a moving object, the
HSE says that companies must conduct a risk assessment which should
include answers to the following questions:
● How are pedestrians and cyclists kept away from vehicles?
● How do you mark out and sign vehicle and pedestrian areas?
● Where do vehicles and pedestrians have to use the same route?
● How do you mark out and sign crossing points?
● How do you tell drivers and pedestrians about the routes and the layout?
● What else presents a health and safety risk?
The key question that must be answered is, how will the company manage
these risks?
Winter 2021 www.operationsengineer.org.uk 29
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