Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

9.6 
The management of vehicle 
movements
The movement of vehicles must be properly managed, 
as must vehicle maintenance and driver training. The 
development of an agreed code of practice for drivers, to 
which all drivers should sign up, and the enforcement of 
site rules covering all vehicular movements are essential 
for effective vehicle management.
All vehicles should be subject to appropriate regular 
preventative maintenance programmes with appropri-
ate records kept and all vehicle maintenance procedures 
properly documented. Consideration must be given to 
driver protection by fi tting driver restraint (seat belts), 
falling object protective structures (FOPS) and roll-over or 
tip-over protective structures known as ROPS. (See the 
summary of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment 
Regulations in Chapter 17 and Section 11.10 Mobile 
work equipment.) Many vehicles, such as mobile cranes, 
require regular inspection by a competent person and 
test certifi cates.
Certain vehicle movements, such as reversing, are 
more hazardous than others and particular safe systems 
should be set up. The reversing of lorries, for example, 
must be kept to a minimum (and then restricted to 
particular areas). Vehicles should be fi tted with reversing 
warning systems as well as being able to give warning 
of approach. Refuges, where pedestrians can stand to 
avoid reversing vehicles are a useful safety measure. 
Banksmen, who direct reversing vehicles, should also be 
alert to the possibility of pedestrians crossing in the path 
of the vehicle. Where there are many vehicle movements, 
consideration should be given to the provision of high 
visibility clothing.
Fire is often a hazard which is associated with many 
vehicular activities, such as battery charging and the 
storage of warehouse pallets. All batteries should be 
recharged in a separate well-ventilated area.
As mentioned earlier, driver training, given by 
competent people, is essential. Only trained drivers 
should be allowed to drive vehicles and the training 
should be relevant to the particular vehicle (e.g. fork lift 
truck, dumper truck, lorry, etc.). All drivers must receive 
specifi c training and instruction before they are permit-
ted to drive vehicles. They must also be given refresher 
training at regular intervals. This involves a management 
system for ensuring driver competence, which must 
include detailed records of all drivers with appropriate 
training dates and certifi cation in the form of a driving 
licence or authorization. Competence and its defi nition 
are discussed in Chapter 4.
The HSE publications 
Workplace Transport Safety
. 
Guidance for Employers
HSG136, and 
Managing Vehicle 
Safety at the Workplace
INDG199, provide useful 
checklists of relevant safety requirements that should be 
in place when vehicles are used in a workplace.