Health & Safety in Stockholding

Straps, Speed & Roundabouts!

Action - Straps

Action - Roundabouts

Stacking Steel Coils

STRAPS, SPEED & ROUNDABOUTS!

Recent vehicle stability trials conducted at MIRA following 2 accidents have shown that the speed at which a vehicle becomes unstable on a roundabout is surprisingly low. The combination of excess speed of entry and unsafe strapping of a load is extremely dangerous. Most accidents in the last 5 years where a coil has come off a trailer have occurred on roundabouts.

Action - Straps

• Only use straps and tensioners that are in good condition – not frayed – no knots & cuts – no twists.
• Wear sleeves must be used to protect the strap(s) when strapping around edges as cuts and abrasions not only render the straps unfit but sharp edges can cut through the strap in transit resulting in an insecure load.
• Inspect all straps and replace any that are in unacceptable condition.
• Tick and sign your time sheet to confirm that straps are acceptable or give details if they have had to replaced.
• Only ever secure loads in accordance with company load security guidelines – ask your Traffic Manager if in doubt.

Action – Roundabouts

• Approach all roundabouts with extreme care and at a speed that you are certain is appropriate to the radius, camber and layout of the roundabout.
• Just because it may be quiet, do not be tempted to enter a roundabout at excessive speed or attempt to cut the corner. Mounting the kerb with a trailer wheel has the effect of dramatically increasing the vehicle’s instability.
• Earlier this year, a coil came off a haulier’s vehicle on a roundabout near Port Talbot – it landed on the M4 below! It was incredible luck that no-one was killed. The main cause of the accident was excessive speed but a secondary cause was the dangerous condition of the straps and the way they were attached to the trailer.

STACKING STEEL COILS

NASS was contacted early in 2005 by H.M. Coroner, Birmingham & Solihull Districts, following a fatality at a steel stockholders premises. Evidence he had heard at the Inquest made him believe that stacking steel coils three high was dangerous and he asked that NASS, as the industry’s trade association should alert all stockholders of his concerns.

In response, a meeting of the Steel Stockholders Lead Association Partnership was convened to discuss the issues raised. Representatives from NASS’ Health & Safety Committee, West Midlands Local Authorities, the Health and Safety Executive and Corus attended.

This meeting concluded that the practice of storing and stacking steel coils three high is acceptable, provided that a detailed Risk Assessment had been made and an adequate coil support system was in place. However, it was agreed that stacking coils two high is generally easier to manage and therefore safety would be expected to improve.

This policy is detailed in a HSE publication HSG246 "Safety in the storage and handling of steel and other metal stock", ISBN - 0-7176-1986-9, published in 2004. NASS, Local Authorities and Corus were substantial contributors to this guidance.

In relation to risk assessment, Paragraph 15 of this guidance says:

"Appoint someone with enough knowledge of your stock storage and handling processes and the law to enable them to carry out a proper risk assessment. Employees should be involved in the assessment (and subsequent risk management) process as they have first-hand knowledge of the hazards and risks involved. Ideally, the appointed person and employees should carry out the risk assessments of stock storage and handling operations as a team. And remember:

• assessment is fundamental to an effective safety management system;
• competence and teamwork will ensure that all the important items will be dealt with."

Paragraph 99 goes on to say, in relation to stack heights:

"stack heights should be as low as possible; for stacking more than two high a correctly designed proprietary coil support system is likely to be necessary"

The meeting further agreed that there may be variable standards throughout the industry, and that there would be merit in reminding industry of the consequences of not maintaining the standards set out in HSG246. We will be issuing a Safety Alert Bulletin to this effect, which is circulated to all NASS members and will be up-loaded onto our Website.

Copies of HSG246 can be purchased from the HSE using the following link
www.hsebooks.com/Books/product/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=HSEBooks&category%5Fname=&product%5Fid=4557