Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

9.3.5 Striking against fi xed or stationary objects
This can only be effectively controlled by:
➤
having good standards of lighting and housekeeping
➤
defi ning walkways and making sure they are used

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Introduction to Health and Safety at Work
134
➤
the use of awareness measures, such as training 
and information in the form of signs or distinctive 
colouring
➤
the use of appropriate personal protective equip-
ment, in some cases, as discussed previously.
9.3.6
General preventative measures for 
pedestrian hazards
Minimizing pedestrian hazards and promoting good work 
practices requires a mixture of sensible planning, good 
housekeeping and common sense. A few of the required 
measures are costly or diffi cult to introduce and, although 
they are mainly applicable to slips, trips and falls on the 
same level and collisions with moving vehicles, they can 
be adapted to all types of pedestrian hazard. Typical 
measures include:
➤
develop a safe workplace as early as possible and 
ensure that suitable fl oor surfaces and lighting are 
selected and vehicle and pedestrian routes are care-
fully planned. Lighting should not dazzle approaching 
Figure 9.4
(a) Typical warehouse vehicle loading/unloading area with separate pedestrian access; (b) barriers to prevent 
collision with tank surrounds/bunds.
(a)
(b)
Barriers to
personnel walking
into vehicle area
Ground level
Vehicle area
Barrier
High level

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Movement of people and vehicles – hazards and control
135
vehicles nor should pedestrians be obscured by 
stored products. Lighting is very important where 
there are changes of level or stairways. Any physical 
hazards, such as low beams, vehicular movements 
or pedestrian crossings, should be clearly marked. 
Staircases need particular attention to ensure that 
they are slip resistant and the edges of the stairs 
marked to indicate a trip hazard
➤
consider pedestrian safety when re-orientating the 
workplace layout (e.g. the need to reposition lighting 
and emergency lighting)
➤
adopt and mark designated walkways
➤
apply good housekeeping principles by keeping all 
areas, particularly walkways, as tidy as possible and 
ensure that any spillages are quickly removed
➤
ensure that all workers are suitably trained in the 
correct use of any safety devices (such as machine 
guarding or personal protective equipment) or clean-
ing equipment provided by the employer
➤
only use cleaning materials and substances that are 
effective and compatible with the surfaces being 
cleaned, so that additional slip hazards are not 
created
➤
ensure that a suitable system of maintenance, clean-
ing, fault reporting and repair are in place and work-
ing effectively. Areas that are being cleaned must be 
fenced and warning signs erected. Care must also 
be taken with trailing electrical leads used with the 
cleaning equipment. Records of cleaning, repairs 
and maintenance should be kept
➤
ensure that all workers are wearing appropriate foot-
wear with the correct type of anti-slip soles suitable 
for the type of fl ooring
➤
consider whether there are signifi cant pedestrian 
hazards present in the area when any workplace risk 
assessments are being undertaken.