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    Mobile Plant Safety and How to Manage It

    Safety concerns in construction must be at the top of your priorities. Otherwise, you’re only asking for trouble.

    In 2014, a SafeWork report documented more than 2000 injuries and 10 deaths among those working around mobile plant. We’ve come a long way since then, as the health and productivity impacts caused by safety concerns in construction are, by now, unquestioned. 

    At the time of publication, SafeWork NSW issued an alert pointing out the growing concerns about the hazards of working with mobile plants. Simultaneously, the entity also released a code of practice outlining the risks associated with mobile plant safety at construction sites. 

    The idea is to minimise, if not eliminate, hazards across all industries that use mobile plants. 

    Take a look at the most current mobile plant safety guidelines that can prevent equipment damage, personal injury, or loss of lives. 

    Mobile Plant Safety

    There are specific measures to mitigate safety concerns in construction sites as regards the use of mobile plants.

    In Australia, the WHS (Work Health and Safety) regulations dictate how health and safety risks are to be managed. You can think of them as a mobile plant risk assessment template for use at your workplace, only that they also apply across industries. 

    Check out what you can do to mitigate risks when using mobile plants and create a safe work environment. 

    #1 – Traffic Hazards

    Start by identifying all traffic hazards related to the construction site, preferably in cooperation with the mobile plant staff and construction workers. There are two key areas to address in this regard. 

    1. The location of the mobile plant when in use. This should include all auxiliary vehicles necessary to operate the plant. The goal is to allow other vehicles and staff freedom of movement and unimpeded access to the site when working around mobile plant. 
    2. The interaction with other mobile plants, pedestrians, and workers. Some interactions are unavoidable and might even be necessary to get the job done. However, safety should be emphasised all around. 

    #2 – Risk Elimination

    In particular, there are two ways with which you may be able to eliminate mobile plant risks entirely: 

    1. Create a workplace layout that separates pedestrians from vehicles. For example, you can install overhead walkways and isolate entry points to the construction site. 
    1. Schedule the work in a way that avoids the simultaneous presence of pedestrians and on-site vehicles. The only caveat is that this might not always be possible. 

    #3 – Minimising Risk

    When conducting a mobile plant risk assessment, you might think that it’s impossible to eliminate the risk altogether. But you can surely do your best to minimise risk for all visitors and workers concerned. This is best achieved with a sound traffic management strategy and proper training for all staff.

    The strategy may include the following measures: 

    1. Consider switching to safer equipment. For example, you could use a pallet jack in place of a forklift. Of course, this is assuming that the site layout and loads are suitable for a pallet jack. 
    1. Make use of safety rails and barriers to create an exclusion zone. Use it to separate vehicles and plants from pedestrians. Audio-visual alarms can also be helpful when the plant is in motion and may include flashing lights and reverse alarms. 
    1. Design the construction site layout to minimise plant movement. For instance, drive-through access may remove the need to reverse and you can locate the storage area adjacent to the loading area. The overall idea is to design a safety-centric traffic flow pattern with the proper use of signage, speed limits, and safety procedures. 
    1. Introduce traffic controllers or spotters to enforce rules. You could limit site access to authorised personnel and require the wearing of high-visibility garments. 

    More often than not, a combination of the above is the way to go to minimise risk, with potential modification according to site specifics. 

    #4 – Reviewing Control Measures

    Most construction sites are fluid workplaces, which is why it’s vital to review the control measures continuously. The following will help in doing so: 

    1. In your review of the control measures, encourage feedback and reports on a daily or weekly basis. Or, you could make the reporting frequency consistent with the demands of the site or workflow. 
    1. Set up procedures to ascertain compliance with the control measures in place. For example, you can assign someone to take charge of this crucial task. 
    1. Be proactive in anticipation of upcoming on-site changes to work procedures and the environment. For instance, identify any changes to shared services and the site’s layout, as well as when new equipment and processes are introduced on-site. 
    1. Consider alternative control measures that may contribute to risk minimisation or removal. In this regard, the adoption of contemporary technology might prove to be more efficient. 

    Safe Workplace Is the Best Workplace

    As you can see, mobile plant risk assessment can be quite complex. Regardless, it should always be your top priority before work begins. Rather than a one-person job, mobile plant safety management requires the joint effort of all stakeholders. 

    Hopefully, you now have a good idea of the measures and steps needed to make your workplace as safe as possible. Always remember that even the most foolproof measures will require periodic reviews and adjustment as necessary. 

    And if you’re in the middle of looking up new or used mobile plants, please visit Truck Dealers Australia to see the latest deals. 

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