Worker seriously injured after being struck by a vehicle

Possible control measures to prevent similar incidents

A project that involves construction work where the cost is more than $250,000 is a construction project. A person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) that commissions a construction project is the principal contractor (PC) for the project.

PC’s and PCBU’s have a primary duty to provide a safe workplace environment that minimises the risk of injury to workers within, or adjacent to, the work area.

PCs and PCBUs must first consider controls that most effectively eliminate the risk or, where not reasonably practicable, minimise the risks associated with interaction between plant/vehicles and workers. Elimination involves controlling the hazard at the source. For example, ensuring any path of travel taken by mobile plant or vehicles is away from any area where a person may be required to work.

A PC and PCBU at a workplace must ensure:

• the layout of the workplace allows, and the workplace is maintained to allow, for persons to enter and exit and to move about without risk to health and safety, both under normal working conditions and in an emergency, and
• work areas have space for work to be carried out without risk to health and safety.

A PC, PCBU, contractors and workers are required to control the risk associated with vehicles and mobile plant, including the risk of pedestrians being struck by vehicles. Before operating any vehicle, the person with management or control of it must ensure:

• the vehicle selected is right for the task and is fitted with suitable safety features (e.g. rear-view mirrors and reversing warning device)
• the design and implementation of a traffic management plan, including identifying suitable exclusion zones and communicating these to workers and other persons in the vicinity before tasks are carried out
• the use of a spotter where required, including suitable means of communication between the spotter and operator (e.g. two-way radio) to assist with the safe movement of the vehicle, particularly where there may be blind spots or other workers in the vicinity
• ground conditions and the intended travel pathway have been inspected and assessed to identify any problem areas such as sloping ground
• there is adequate lighting to safely operate the vehicle
• if outdoors, the effect of adverse weather conditions (e.g. reduced visibility) has been considered
• any workers around the vehicle are aware of operator blind spots and exclusion zones.

Traffic management plan

A traffic management plan is a set of rules for managing the movement of traffic in your workplace. It should be developed by the PCBU in consultation with workers and others in the workplace. Everyone affected by the plan must understand it and follow it.

An effective traffic management plan will include broad types of control measures that aim to do the following things:

• keep vehicles and people apart
• limit vehicle movements or speed
• avoid the need for reversing vehicles
• provide a safe area for the driver
• provide clear signage road/area markings
• ensure effective workplace communication.

Workers, visitors and/or others may need to park on the site. Consider setting out a parking area in consideration of the below:

• away from busy work areas and traffic routes
• have walkways leading to and from parking areas which are separated from vehicles or vehicle routes, for example by using physical control measures like barriers or bollards to prevent vehicles from crossing into walking areas
• have barriers, traffic lights or other stop signals where necessary so drivers are aware of when it is safe to leave
• have site access and egress designed to eliminate the interaction of plant, vehicles and people (see Figure 2). Consider the potential risks to people and other vehicles associated with how vehicles or plant enter the parking area from a public road, particularly if entering vehicles and plant are required to slow significantly to safely park.
  
  Figure 2: example of a delineated walkway through carpark to ensure safe access
  Source: Adapted from Safe Work Australia guidance material

A PCBU should consider the location of work to be carried out and where applicable, set up an exclusion zone. An effective exclusion zone of a work site will usually include:

• signage informing others of an active exclusion zone,
• visual barriers in the form of any of the below:
  • flagging,
  • bollards,
  • fencing or any other visual barrier.
• communication to workers prior to the implementation of the exclusion and the estimated length of time the exclusion zone is likely to remain.

A PCBU can also consider engineering controls for workers in high-risk zones where plant operates, such as:

• proximity sensors,
• reversing cameras,
• alarms, or
• wearable proximity tags.

PC’s performing construction work must prepare a written work health and safety management plan before starting the project. Every person working on the project must be informed about the plan.

Construction projects are frequently changing and the contractors on site can vary from day to day. To manage a constantly changing work environment, a PC must maintain appropriate consultation, information, and instruction.

Construction works that are carried out at a workplace that involves movement of powered mobile plant (including light vehicles where necessary); is considered high risk construction work, which requires a safe work method statement.

Any remaining risk must be minimised with suitable personal protective equipment. For example:

• hard hats, steel cap boots and high visibility vests
• safety footwear should be:
  • suitable for the type of work and environment
  • comfortable with an adequate non-slip sole and appropriate tread
  • checked regularly to ensure treads are not worn away or clogged with contaminants.

Note: Any administrative control measures and PPE rely on human behaviour and supervision, and used on their own, tend to be least effective in minimising risks.

The control measures you put in place should be reviewed regularly to make sure they work as planned.