The RHA has published guidance to improve safety around the use of tail lifts.
The Tail Lift and Pallet Truck Guidance Document (available for download via the link below) aims to help operators reduce the risk of death and serious injury when palletised goods are delivered by vehicles fitted with tail lifts.
The guidance sets out industry best practice, and supports businesses to review their health and safety processes.
It helps firms with establishing safe systems of work, risk assessments, staff training and support, incident reporting, equipment maintenance, and reminds employers of their responsibilities.
The guidance is the culmination of several years’ work by the RHA, the Association of Pallet Networks, haulage and logistics operators, and transport law experts Backhouse Jones.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provided technical support to the group as they developed the guidance which has been keenly anticipated across the haulage and logistics industry.
HSE head of transport and public services unit, Harvey Wild, said: “We believe that this guidance is an important step for the industry in improving the safety of tail lift deliveries and we have provided technical support to the working group during the production of the document. We have agreed to provide an endorsement of the guidance that recognises the value of the advice it provides to vehicle operators and others in the haulage industry.”
The new guidance joins existing industry advice, such as IRTE’s own best practice guides on tail-lifts: Preventing Falls and Falling Loads from Tail Lifts (2009) and Tail Lift Operators – a simple guide (2007). Both are available for free download via https://www.soe.org.uk/resources-home/technical-guides.html.
