Preventing Falls from Vehicles and Plant on Irish Construction Sites
Falls from lorries, excavators, telehandlers, and other plant are a significant cause of fatal and serious injuries in Irish construction.
# Preventing Falls from Vehicles and Plant on Irish Construction Sites Falls from height are the single largest cause of fatal accidents in Irish construction. While much attention is rightly given to falls from scaffolding, roofs, and elevated work platforms, a significant proportion of fall fatalities and serious injuries involve falls from vehicles and plant — lorries, dumpers, excavators, telehandlers, and other mobile plant. This guide explains the risks associated with falls from vehicles and plant, the legal requirements that apply, and the practical controls that construction employers must put in place. ## The Scale of the Problem The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) reports that falls from vehicles and plant are a recurring cause of serious injury and death on Irish construction sites. Workers fall from the cabs of lorries and plant, from the bodies of tipper trucks, from the platforms of telehandlers, and from the steps and handrails of excavators. Many of these falls occur during routine activities: climbing in and out of a cab, accessing a tipper body to check a load, or stepping down from plant onto uneven ground. The fall heights involved are often relatively modest — 1 to 3 metres — but falls from even these heights can cause fatal head injuries, particularly where the worker lands on hard ground or is struck by part of the vehicle. ## Legal Requirements The primary legal framework for preventing falls from vehicles and plant comes from two sources: **The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, Part 4** sets out requirements for work at height. The regulations define "work at height" as any work in a place where, if precautions were not taken, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. This definition includes climbing in and out of vehicles and plant, accessing tipper bodies, and working on or around mobile plant. The regulations require employers to avoid work at height where possible, use work equipment or other measures to prevent falls where work at height cannot be avoided, and where the risk of a fall cannot be eliminated, use work equipment or other measures to minimise the distance and consequences of a fall. **The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005** imposes a general duty on employers to manage work activities to prevent risks to health and safety, including risks from falls from vehicles and plant. **The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013** require the PSCS to ensure that construction sites are organised so that workers are protected from risks associated with vehicles and plant. ## Common Scenarios Involving Falls from Vehicles and Plant ### Falls from Lorry Cabs and Bodies Lorry drivers and banksmen regularly climb in and out of cabs, and access the bodies of tipper lorries to check loads, remove sheeting, or clear blockages. These activities involve climbing to heights of 1.5 to 3 metres on steps and handrails that may be wet, muddy, or damaged. Key controls include: - Maintaining steps, handrails, and access points in good condition and free from mud and debris - Providing three points of contact when climbing (two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand) - Never jumping from a lorry body or cab — always use the steps - Ensuring that sheeting and load-securing activities are carried out from the ground where possible, using long-handled tools ### Falls from Telehandlers and Forklift Trucks Telehandlers and forklift trucks are widely used on Irish construction sites for lifting and placing materials. Workers sometimes attempt to access the forks or the load to adjust materials, or to use the forks as an improvised work platform. This is extremely dangerous and is a significant cause of falls. Key controls include: - Never using forks as an improvised work platform unless a properly designed and secured work platform attachment is used - Ensuring that any work platform attachment is rated for the purpose and properly secured to the forks - Ensuring that the operator remains in the cab when a work platform is in use and does not move the machine unless directed by the person on the platform ### Falls from Excavators and Other Plant Excavators, dumpers, and other plant have steps, handrails, and access points that are used to climb in and out of the cab. These are often at heights of 1 to 2 metres and may be slippery in wet conditions. Key controls include: - Maintaining access points in good condition - Using three points of contact when climbing - Never jumping from plant - Ensuring that access points are clear of mud, oil, and debris ### Falls During Maintenance and Inspection Maintenance and inspection activities often require workers to access the top of vehicles and plant — checking fluid levels, inspecting bodywork, or carrying out repairs. These activities involve working at height on surfaces that may be slippery and that may not have adequate handholds. Key controls include: - Using a mobile elevated work platform (MEWP) or a purpose-built maintenance platform where possible - Ensuring that any work on top of a vehicle is planned and that appropriate fall prevention measures are in place - Never working on top of a moving vehicle ## Risk Assessment for Falls from Vehicles and Plant Employers must carry out a specific risk assessment for activities involving falls from vehicles and plant. The risk assessment should identify: - Which vehicles and plant are used on site - Which activities involve climbing or working at height on vehicles and plant - What the fall heights are - What the ground conditions are (hard standing, uneven ground, soft ground) - What controls are currently in place - What additional controls are needed The risk assessment should be task-specific. A risk assessment for "climbing in and out of vehicles" is not sufficient — it should address the specific vehicles used, the specific access points, and the specific activities carried out. ## Safe Systems of Work For higher-risk activities — maintenance on top of vehicles, accessing tipper bodies, using telehandler work platforms — a written safe system of work (SSOW) should be prepared. The SSOW sets out step-by-step how the activity is to be carried out safely, including the controls to be used and the emergency procedures in the event of a fall. The SSOW should be communicated to all workers who carry out the activity, and workers should sign to confirm that they have read and understood it. ## Training and Competency Workers who operate vehicles and plant, and workers who carry out maintenance or inspection activities on vehicles and plant, must be trained and competent. Training should cover: - Safe access and egress from vehicles and plant - Three-point contact technique - Recognition of hazards (wet steps, damaged handrails, uneven ground) - The specific risks associated with the vehicles and plant they use Operators of telehandlers, forklifts, and other lifting equipment must hold a valid licence or certificate of competency. The HSA and SOLAS provide guidance on the training and certification requirements for plant operators. ## Inspection and Maintenance Vehicles and plant must be maintained in good condition. Steps, handrails, and access points must be inspected regularly and any defects repaired promptly. Mud and debris must be cleaned from access points regularly, particularly in wet weather. Pre-use checks should include an inspection of all access points. Any defects should be reported and the vehicle or plant should be taken out of service until the defect is repaired. ## Conclusion Falls from vehicles and plant are a significant cause of fatal and serious injuries on Irish construction sites. The legal obligations are clear: employers must assess the risks, implement appropriate controls, and ensure that workers are trained and competent. The key controls are maintaining access points in good condition, using three-point contact when climbing, never jumping from vehicles or plant, avoiding improvised work platforms, and carrying out a specific risk assessment and safe system of work for higher-risk activities. If you need assistance reviewing your risk assessments for falls from vehicles and plant, or developing safe systems of work for specific activities, Safety Check can help. Contact us at [safetycheck.ie/contact](https://www.safetycheck.ie/contact). ## References [1] Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007. Available at: https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2007/si/299/made/en/print [2] Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. Available at: https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2005/act/10/enacted/en/html [3] Health and Safety Authority - Work at Height. Available at: https://www.hsa.ie/eng/your_industry/construction/safety_topics/work_at_height/ [4] Health and Safety Authority - Vehicles and Mobile Plant. Available at: https://www.hsa.ie/eng/your_industry/construction/safety_topics/vehicles_and_mobile_plant/