Vehicle and plant movements can cause serious harm if they are not properly controlled. This module explains what employers must do to manage vehicles and mobile plant safely.

As a banksman, you need to know these control measures. It helps you understand your part in safe manoeuvres, keep the work area safe, recognise when it is not safe to go ahead, and report problems to your employer.

Employers have overall responsibility for the safety of drivers and pedestrians during vehicle and plant operations. Their duties include:

• Carrying out a risk assessment that covers vehicles and mobile plant.
• Making traffic routes safe, including temporary routes and routes used by pedestrians.
• Designing out reversing first, then keeping it to a minimum.
• Planning safe loading, unloading, coupling and uncoupling.
• Making sure vehicles and plant are safe in design and use.
• Giving information, instruction and training to everyone involved.

Employers must carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment. This means it must fit the specific workplace, the vehicles and the way the work is done, and be thorough enough to control the risks that matter. It has five steps:

• Identify the hazards.
• Decide who may be harmed, and how.
• Evaluate the risks, and decide on controls.
• Record the findings.
• Review the assessment regularly.

The hazards are usually identified by an experienced manager or supervisor, often by walking around the site. For work on public roads, they consider the conditions and normal precautions for that work. They look at:

• Vehicle routes: are they safe, suitable for the type and number of vehicles, and maintained?
• Pedestrian routes: are they separated from vehicles or, at least, clearly marked with crossing points?
• Obstructions: is there anything vehicles could hit, such as overhead cables or pipework?

• Are vehicles safe, suitable and maintained, with records of maintenance and repair?
• Are drivers and operators trained and qualified? For example, forklift operators must be trained, and anyone learning must be supervised at all times by a trained operator.
• Do other people know the site rules, such as using pedestrian doors rather than vehicle doors?
• Do drivers check every shift that lights, brakes, windscreens, mirrors and warning devices work, and report any faults?

Everyone nearby must be considered: drivers, other workers, visitors, contractors and members of the public. The assessment looks at how they could be harmed, for example by being struck or crushed.

Next, the existing controls are evaluated, and anything missing is added. For example, if reversing cannot be avoided, barriers may keep people out of the area while a trained banksman, who knows the layout and procedures, guides the driver.

The findings must be written down, and the controls put in place. Everyone affected should be briefed, for example through toolbox talks.

As a banksman, you should know the risk assessment well, and your employer should ask for your experience to help improve it.

The assessment must be reviewed regularly, and whenever something changes, such as new vehicles, new types of operation, or new workers joining.

Sites must be organised so that people and vehicles can move around safely. Traffic routes should meet these standards:

• Roads must be wide enough for the largest vehicle that may use them. Height limits must be clearly signed.
• Surfaces must be firm, even, drained and strong enough for the heaviest vehicles.
• Steep slopes, sharp bends and blind corners should be avoided. Where they cannot be, use mirrors, speed controls and signs.
• Loading bay edges, tipping points and excavations need barriers to stop vehicles going over.

Safe traffic routes depend on how they are built and looked after, not just on how they are laid out. Where possible, the use of site vehicles should be restricted to specific areas, and all drivers should be told which areas they may use. Both vehicle routes and pedestrian routes must be built from materials that suit the location, the type and amount of traffic, the size of the route, and the ground or foundations beneath it.

Elevated pedestrian walkways must be safe to use. Routes must then be maintained, and permanent roads in a workplace should meet the general standards of public roads wherever possible. Where an area has difficult space or surfaces, vehicles that are unsuitable for it should be prohibited from entering. As a banksman, you are often the first to notice a damaged surface, a blocked route or a vehicle in the wrong area, so report these problems straight away.

A route can expose a vehicle, raised body or lifting attachment to electrical lines, pipework, gantries and other services. Check height restrictions and turning clearance before the vehicle approaches. The highest point may be a crane jib, grab, load or raised tipper body rather than the cab. Do not estimate a safe clearance by eye or ask a driver to “just take it slowly” beneath a line. If the route is near overhead power lines, follow the site’s specific exclusion distances and control arrangements, set by a competent person with the network operator where needed.

Underground services can also be damaged by heavy traffic, outriggers or a vehicle leaving the designed route. Keep to the planned track and report missing markers, barriers or height signs. If the service location or clearance is uncertain, stop and obtain reliable information before proceeding.

Construction sites, forestry and seasonal farm work often have routes that change, or that cross open ground. Temporary routes must meet the same basic standards as permanent ones.

• Soft ground should be fenced off from traffic.
• Fixed banks or barriers may be needed to stop vehicles running over open edges.
• A bank should be at least 1.5 metres high, or the axle height of the largest vehicle, whichever is greater, and strong enough to absorb an impact.

Routes must be checked regularly, and problems put right before they become dangerous.

Temporary sites need particular care, because their routes and ground conditions change as the work progresses. Areas of soft ground should be fenced off from all traffic. If some limited work in those areas is unavoidable, a risk assessment carried out with expert help is required, and it must state clearly which vehicles can safely use the area. Barriers and banks that stop vehicles running over open edges bring a hazard of their own.

Pedestrian routes must not run close to physical barriers, because a person who strays into the gap between a vehicle and a barrier can become trapped. Finally, temporary arrangements cannot simply be set up and forgotten. There must be arrangements to monitor how well all the traffic and pedestrian arrangements are working, and to put problems right before they become a danger.

Tipper lorries and site dumpers are at their least stable while they are tipping. As the body rises, the centre of gravity moves upwards, and an uneven surface, soft ground or a load that sticks in the body can make the vehicle overturn. Tipping should take place only on firm, level ground, at a point that has been planned in advance. Where a vehicle tips into an excavation, over a bank or at a spoil heap, a stop block or a fixed barrier must be in place so that the wheels cannot go over the edge.

Check above the tipping point for overhead lines and structures before the body is raised. Stand well clear to the side, never behind the vehicle or close to the edge, and keep other people away. Watch for the load hanging up in the body, and signal stop if the vehicle starts to lean. The driver must lower the body fully before moving off.

• Keep pedestrians and vehicles apart with separate routes and fixed fencing, wherever possible.
• Where full separation is not possible, clearly mark and sign the routes.
• Provide clear crossing points where drivers can see pedestrians, and stop in time.
• Allow as much clearance as possible, and avoid fixtures that could trap people.

As a banksman, you help keep pedestrians out of restricted areas, and make sure vehicles use their own routes.

A well designed route can still become dangerous if it is not kept in order. Pallets, stacked materials, waste skips or parked trailers left on or beside a traffic route can narrow the road, block a driver's view, and push pedestrians into the path of vehicles. Spilled oil, diesel, mud or loose gravel can make a vehicle skid when it brakes or turns. Good housekeeping means goods are stored only in marked areas, away from bends, junctions and crossing points, and that routes are swept and kept free of debris.

Lighting, signs, mirrors and road markings must be working and clearly visible. As a banksman, you see the routes every day, so you are in a good position to spot problems early. If something blocks a route or reduces visibility, do not guide a vehicle around it if this is unsafe. Stop the movement, report it, and make sure it is put right before the route is used again.

The HSA has reported that reversing is involved in about one in ten fatal workplace transport accidents in Ireland. So the first duty is to avoid reversing altogether.

For example, one-way systems with drive-through loading areas can remove the need to reverse.

Where reversing cannot reasonably be avoided, routes must be organised to keep it to a minimum, and reversing allowed only in designated areas. A combination of controls is usually needed.

• Reversing areas must be clearly marked, well lit, and big enough for good visibility and safe manoeuvring, with hatched areas where other vehicles must not stop.
• Drivers must be trained in the site routes and reversing rules. Visiting drivers who do not speak English must get basic safety information in their own language, or in pictures.
• Reversing alarms, if fitted, must be maintained. Flashing lights can help where alarms are hard to hear, but must not be the only measure.
• Sensors can warn the driver, or stop the vehicle, near an obstruction.

The reversing zone should be large enough to contain the whole vehicle movement, including its front swing and trailer cut-in, not just the space behind the rear bumper. Mark the boundary with barriers, cones or painted lines suited to the traffic and site conditions. Keep pedestrians, parked vehicles and unrelated work outside it. A banksman should not be asked to hold the boundary while also watching the vehicle if these tasks cannot both be done safely; assign another person or use physical separation.

Confirm the destination is clear before the driver begins. If someone enters the zone, stop the vehicle and restore the boundary. Remove temporary barriers only after the movement is complete and the vehicle is secured. A clear zone makes the banksman’s instructions easier to follow and reduces the chance that a person appears unexpectedly.

• Mirrors must be kept clean and in good repair. Rear lenses and rear-view cameras help drivers see behind.
• People who do not need to be there must be told to keep out of reversing areas.
• Highly visible buffers or wheel stops at loading bays, away from pedestrian routes, help drivers position accurately.
• A trained banksman guides the driver, and keeps people away, where other controls have not controlled the risk enough.

Your training must include your own site’s reversing rules.

A loading bay combines vehicle movement with edges, doors, goods and people handling materials. Before arrival, check that the bay is allocated, the dock or ramp is ready, and the vehicle can approach squarely. Agree the stopping reference with the driver and use a fixed stop, buffer or painted mark where provided. Keep people clear of the gap between vehicle and structure while the vehicle is manoeuvring.

Once parked, confirm the vehicle is secured according to the site method before anyone enters the loading area. Do not stand behind a trailer to judge alignment if the position places you in a crush zone. If the driver loses the reference or the bay is occupied, stop and reposition only after the area has been made safe.

An articulated vehicle does not follow the same path as its cab. During a turn, the trailer wheels may cut across the inside of the curve while the front of the tractor swings outward. A signaller who watches only the rear can miss a person or obstacle beside the cab; a signaller who watches only the cab can miss the trailer’s path. Plan a route with enough width and space to complete the turn without entering a pedestrian area.

Agree which part of the vehicle is the key reference and ensure the driver can see the banksman throughout. Never stand between the tractor and trailer or inside the angle between them. If the turn becomes too tight or the vehicle must make an unexpected correction, stop and reset from a safe position.

Vehicle speeds must suit the site. The most effective way to limit speed is with fixed traffic calming features, such as speed bumps, narrowed routes with bollards or raised kerbs, and rumble strips.

Traffic calming should be clearly visible, with warning signs that are lit if vehicles drive in the dark.

Some plant, especially forklift trucks, cannot safely cross speed bumps, so bumps may be designed to drive around, or separate routes provided.

Darkness, glare, rain, fog and dust can reduce the driver’s view and make a high-visibility garment less effective. Check that the route, the banksman and the vehicle’s relevant lights can be seen before movement begins. Use suitable fixed lighting or approved illuminated signalling aids if the site method requires them. Position lights so they illuminate the work without shining into the driver’s eyes or creating deep shadows.

Wet surfaces may reflect lights and hide painted markings; dust may obscure a camera lens or mirror. If the driver cannot distinguish a signal clearly, stop rather than exaggerating movement or stepping closer. Conditions may worsen during a shift, so reassess when weather changes. Suspend the operation if visibility cannot be restored to a level that allows safe control.

There is no single fixed speed limit for work sites. Each limit is set by the risk assessment, to suit the route, the vehicles and their loads. Different zones can have different limits, and every limit must be clearly signed and enforced. The risk assessment considers:

• Whether pedestrians cross or walk near traffic routes.
• Whether work goes on beside the routes.
• Whether the public, especially children, cross the site.
• Slopes, sharp bends and blind corners.

Speeds should be monitored, and offenders dealt with, for example by banning them from site.

Some workplaces cannot be closed off from the public. Schools, hospitals, shopping centres, car parks and farms open to visitors all have vehicles moving close to people who have never been told the site rules. Children in particular may run out suddenly, and patients or older visitors may move slowly or be unable to react to a warning. On these sites, the safest control is to keep vehicles and the public apart in time as well as space.

Deliveries and collections should be planned for quieter periods, such as before a school day starts or outside visiting hours. Where that is not possible, the delivery area should be fenced or coned off, and more than one person may be needed: one to guide the vehicle, and one to keep the public away. Speak politely but firmly to members of the public, and never assume that someone has seen or heard the vehicle. If you cannot keep people clear, stop the movement.

Vehicles and plant must be suitable for the job, able to carry their loads safely, and well maintained.

• Dumpers, excavators and tractors that could overturn need a roll-over protection system, or ROPS: a strong frame that stops the driver being crushed.
• Where objects could fall on the driver, as with forklift trucks, a falling object protection system, or FOPS, is needed.
• Seat belts must be fitted and worn. Old site vehicles without them should not be used until belts are fitted.
• Dangerous parts, such as power take-off shafts and hot exhausts, must be guarded.

A vehicle movement can become dangerous when the load shifts, falls or blocks the driver’s view. Before the vehicle departs, confirm that the load is within the vehicle’s capacity and secured using the method specified for that load. A banksman should not climb onto a load or reach into a dangerous gap to adjust it. Keep clear while loading equipment is operating and wait for the load handler to confirm that the load is secure.

If packaging is damaged, items are leaning, restraints are loose or the load projects beyond the expected footprint, stop the departure and alert the responsible person. Sudden braking or cornering can turn an apparently stable stack into a hazard. The banksman’s role is to identify concerns and protect the movement; the driver and loading team follow their own competent procedures.

Coupling and uncoupling trailers causes serious crushing injuries every year, often because a vehicle moves while someone is standing between the tractor unit and the trailer. The most common cause is simple: the driver leaves the cab without applying the parking brake, or the trailer brake is not applied before the air lines are disconnected. Before anyone approaches the coupling area, the tractor unit must have its parking brake applied, and the trailer must be secured with its own parking brake.

The coupling should be done on firm, level ground, and the landing legs must be lowered before the trailer is uncoupled. After coupling, the driver checks that the trailer is properly attached, for example with a gentle pull against the trailer brake. As a banksman, you may guide the tractor unit as it reverses under the trailer. Stay to the side, in the driver's view, and never step into the gap between the vehicles while either one can move.

Drivers must be able to see clearly around and behind their vehicle. On large vehicles and plant, cameras and special mirrors help with this.

Lights, reversing lights, horns and reversing alarms warn people that a vehicle is moving. Bright paintwork and markings help vehicles stand out, especially dumpers, excavators and forklift trucks.

As a banksman, you need to know the blind spots of each vehicle you guide.

A vehicle that is parked in the wrong place or left in an unsafe state can be as dangerous as one that is moving. Vehicles and plant should be parked only in designated areas, away from pedestrian routes, crossing points, doorways and emergency exits, and where they do not block other drivers' views at bends or junctions. The parking area should be firm and level wherever possible.

When a vehicle is parked, the driver should apply the parking brake, switch off the engine, and remove the key so that no one else can start it without permission. Mobile plant should have its forks, bucket or other attachment lowered fully to the ground. On a slope, wheels may need to be chocked or turned towards a kerb. As a banksman, you may be asked to guide a vehicle into a tight parking space. Treat this like any other guided manoeuvre: agree the stopping point, stay visible, and give the end signal only when the vehicle is secure.