Materials must be delivered to construction sites and they will typically be either contained in a truck (e.g. gravel, concrete) or tied down on a truck (e.g. machinery, metal beams, wooden framing).
For a small residential construction or renovation, materials deliveries are infrequent and easily managed. However, health and safety is important, so understanding the risks will enable you to put processes in place to avoid accidents.
Common accidents when materials are delivered are:
- Pedestrians or other workers impacted by a vehicle
- Load touches power lines (truck-mounted cranes and EWPs (boom lifts) must pay special attention)
- Vehicle falls off its transporting vehicle (more likely when it is wet and the truck deck is slippery)
- Vehicle topples over (common with large tipper trucks if the load binds at the top)
- Load topples over (usually if it has moved in transit and become unstable, or whoever is unloading it is not careful); this can have serious consequences if it hits someone.
- Vehicle sinks into soft ground (this can cause a rollover if it’s on one side)
There are two options for the delivery position:
- Truck stays on the road, while materials handling equipment or its own crane unloads it. This is common with framing, for example, and when the site has difficult access due to its gradient
- Truck drives onto the site. This is more common when something has to be tipped in a location, e.g. scoria, or it is collecting excavated materials.
Unloading When Parked on the Road
When unloading from the road, it’s important that the loading area is made safe. Placing cones or barriers to create a safe zone is the foundation of this, along with not blocking traffic. A specific qualification such as an F endorsement may be required for anyone using a forklift on the road. Moving vehicles should have flashing hazard warning lights and/or rotating beacons. People should be wearing high-vis vests. The driver of the truck should either stay in the cab or always be visible to the forklift operator.
Loading from the road is dangerous because there are conditions that must be considered:
- Weather – rain, fog and snow create lower visibility and potentially slippery surfaces
- Road – potholes and camber (the slope of the road) can destabilise the load
- Light – low light creates visibility issues; pedestrians and other vehicles are harder to see, while bright light (e.g. sunstrike) also make it difficult to see
- Traffic – high traffic volumes can make it tricky to manoeuvre onto a site, and increase the risk of a collision for vehicles parked on the side of the road. Traffic flow is variable. You may need a traffic management plan
- Distance – unloading from the road means more distance the materials must be moved, meaning more risk it could be damaged
- Pedestrians – they are going about their business, could be distracted by their phones, could be peeping out from under an umbrella if it’s rainy, and could be in a hurry and not respect no-go zones.
Unloading From the Worksite
When unloading on a site, it is best to use a spotter or traffic controller. This is a person who can guide a vehicle onto a site. Scheduled deliveries should be notified at the morning stand-up briefing so that other trades are aware of upcoming vehicle movements. Loading from the site takes pedestrians out of the equation.
A site manager should check that delivery drivers have had the appropriate training (e.g. truck loader crane training).
Placement of Materials
Materials must be placed in a way that they are safe and not obstructing other people. It wouldn’t be the first time a truck driver has dumped a load of materials and blocked someone in. Ensure that materials are checked before they are signed for.
Materials should be in stacks that will not fall, and covered to protect them from bad weather (where appropriate).
Health and Safety
Bear in mind that there is a chain of responsibility that contains everyone. Everyone is responsible for health and safety on the worksite. Understanding your options for site delivery enables you to plan to keep everyone on the worksite safe.
Also Read: 10 Safety Must Follow While Carrying Out Construction Work in Public Places
