Health & safety bulletin
A Lesson To Us All: Barricading Your Work Area
11th December 2008
At Xmo Strata we continually relay incidents that have occurred on third party sites all over the world. By sharing this information, we aim to highlight the potential dangers that you may face in your everyday work, either through lack of concentration, complacency or not adhering to site rules and regulations.
REMEMBER: Site rules, Safety Method Statements/JSAs and site audits are there to protect you.
Xmo Strata was recently informed of an incident occurring on a customer's site in China. This episode ended in tragedy for a young woman and her family. It has been requested that this information be shared with all employees in the hope that further lives will not be placed in jeopardy under similar circumstances.
TRAGEDY
A retail store's contract employee was fatally struck by a delivery vehicle as it reversed towards the rest stop area behind. This was a full service site, and the contractor was squatting behind the vehicle cleaning up oil stains after fuelling. Traffic cones had been placed at the entrance to the fuelling position to keep the area clear as she cleaned the driveway. The contractor was working between the rear of the truck and these safety cones (see images below).
An investigation following the fatality found that the vehicle's reverse alert was not working at the time of the accident.
NB: The contractor had completed all site safety induction training.
THINK
- Always follow all site safety guidelines before commencing any work on site.
- If the work cannot be completed safely or you perceive there to be a risk that cannot be effectively mitigated, STOP and contact your supervisor.
- Ensure you can be clearly seen by all site staff and patrons, i.e. fluorescent vest etc.
- Stand away from the front or back of vehicles when working on forecourts in particular. Stay out of a vehicle's blind spots. Remember: If you can't see a vehicle's wing-mirrors, the driver can't see you!
- Ensure that someone else on site is always aware of what you are doing.
Xmo Strata would like to thank ABB and Esso for sharing this information and for its commitment to maintaining safe working environments on all sites.