example of risk ASSESSMENT
School / Dept / Unit / CEDAR and Sonning Farm, School of AgricultureA: Identifying workplace hazards and existing controls
1. Brief summary of work activity or project assessed / Traffic management of vehicles, pedestrians and animals in and around CEDAR Farm
2. List significant hazards / · Drivers, untrained drivers, unfit or careless
· Poorly maintained vehicle
· Animal movement
· Vehicle movement
· Lighting
· Traffic routes
· Pedestrians
· Access by visitors and contractors and general public
· Loads
· Poor condition of roads, paths and tracks
· Signage
3. Relevant University or local guidelines or standards / · Farms safety manual
· Safe working procedure for Traffic Management
· CEDAR Area Safety Code
· Safe working procedures for Tractors and PTO implements
· ATV risk assessment
· HSE guidance Driving at work – Managing work related road safety INDG382
· Other specific vehicle risk assessments
· Farms Contractor Procedures
· Health and Safety Services Safety Note 22 Mobile phones
4. List who might be exposed to the hazards (e.g. staff, students, visitors, consider numbers at risk) / · Staff
· Students
· Contractors
· Visitors and other third parties
5. How might they be harmed? (type of injury or health problem that might result) / · Road traffic accidents to driver, pedestrian
· Pedestrian hit by vehicle, minor to fatal
· Animals colliding with vehicles minor to fatal
· Loads falling from vehicles hitting pedestrians and driver
· Hit by Contractors and visitors vehicles
6. List control measures in place to reduce risks
Assess whether these controls are adequate, actually used in practice and regularly checked, where appropriate. / 1.There are warning signs indicating maximum speed limits
2. Directional signs
3. Checks on vehicle users
4. Training on mechanical handling
5. Loading and unloading areas defined
6. The car park for CEDAR designated in between the Metabolism unit and CEDAR main building
7. Occupational Health surveillance questionnaire requests for confirmation that staff member operates vehicles. Eye sight checking
8. Prohibition on use of handheld mobile phones and driving
9. Authorised contractors and Farms contractor procedures
10. Wearing of high visibility clothing in poor light or where specific risk assessment dictates
B: Assessing the level of risk and further action needed
7.1 How severe is any injury or health effect likely to be? / Tick one box
(S =score given in brackets) / Minor
(1) / Serious
(2) / Major
(3) / Fatal ☑
(4)
7.2. How likely is exposure to the hazard? / Tick one box
(P =score given in brackets) / Very unlikely (1) / Unlikely
(2) / Possible
☑ (3) / Likely
(4)
7.3. Calculate the risk score by multiplying the 2 scores in Q7.1 & 7.2 / Risk Score
(s x P) = / Low
(1-3) / Medium
(4-6) / High
(8-9) / Very High
☑ (12-16)
8. Immediate further action to be taken to make the situation safe / reduce risk to health / Action to be taken by whom? / Implementation Date
1. All Areas to risk assess vehicular movements, decide on safest means and ensure information is conveyed to staff.
2. Maintenance schedule to be instigated for all farms machinery
3. Track to Crops Research Field Unit to be made good / All Farms managers.
Farms Manager
Senior Management/farms Board
9. Further action or additional controls needed to reduce risk as low as reasonably practicable / Action to be taken by whom? / Implementation Date
1. Planned preventative scheme for all roads and trackways. All areas to receive an annual audit
2. Clearer signage for visitors, contractors, particularly at ‘Give way’ junctions and ‘Stop’.
3. Warning signs on approaching APRU from internal Farms track
4.. The give way sign and double hatched lines to be provided at the give way area adjacent to the Feed mill area
5. A pedestrian walkway to be clearly segregated leading to the main CEDAR building and a crossing point.
6. Deliveries only to be allowed to park in front of the CEDAR building.
7. Investigation into the operation of a one-way system for deliveries and vehicles into and out of the CEDAR main yard
8. A mirror on blind corners at APRU, Feedmill and Sonning
9. All current Driving licences to be checked annually for those operating University vehicles or using vehicles on University business
10. Staff requested to report changes
11. Review of staff training depending on vehicle type, on site test of competence, induction assessment and refresher
12.Vehicle maintained in accordance with planned preventative maintenance, procedure to be devised
13.Vehicle checklist completed prior to use, to be devised.
14.Defects noted on defects notification sheet and sent to Farms Office, to be devised
15. Pre-employment assessment for competency to be devised
16. A warning sign, ‘warning vehicles operate in this area’ to be erected in all yards.
17. Consult with local authority on clearer signage for rights of way to help prevent members of public accessing yard areas.
Name of Assessor
(please print) / Debbie Sullivan
Signature of Assessor / Date: SEPTEMBER 2004
Signature of Head of Dept/School/Unit / Date:
10. Date for Review
(maximum 12 months from date of assessment) / JUNE 2005
Safe working procedure for Traffic Management at Cedar
General
Vehicle and traffic movements are a major cause of severe injury and death in workplaces. Health and safety legislation enforced by the HSE applies to the Farm premises and work in general and the Highways Act, Road Traffic Act and Road Vehicle (Construction and use) is enforced by the Police and other authorities and applies to vehicles on the Public Highway. The following are general guidelines to which all drivers and operators should adhere. In individual Farms areas, please refer to specific risk assessments.
Site Rules
Drivers and operators
· All drivers of Farms vehicles must be duly authorised by the Farms Manager and provide copy of their licence which is maintained on file in the Farms Office.
· These are checked annually by the Farms office for prohibitions or penalties and ensuring that the driver/operator is legally entitled to operate a particular vehicle.
· Any changes in the information such as prohibitions or penalties must be reported to the Farms office.
· Pre-employment assessment should be carried out for all potential drivers.
· Health surveillance for all drivers should be carried out by the Occupational Health service as part of their routine surveillance.
· Any driver operating under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs will be subject to disciplinary action.
· Any driver having to take prescribed drugs must inform their manager as their use may impair their ability to operate machinery or drive.
· Only competent staff are allowed to drive or operate machinery and must be assessed by the Farms Manager in consultation with the Farms Area Manager. Newly appointed staff must provide relevant certificates to proof competence otherwise they will need to take formal instruction. They will also need to undergo a formal induction which should include
o Handling the vehicle including reversing and tight turns
o Safe stop procedure
o Loads
o Coupling and decoupling
o Use of adjustments
o Climbing in and out of vehicle safely.
o Essential maintenance
o Accident and incident reporting
o Reporting defects
o Farms traffic management and driving policy
o Farms maps and position of areas where the public have right of access
· All staff are required to receive refresher training and records maintained.
· When leaving a vehicle, ensure it cannot move or otherwise cause injury by. Always use SAFE STOP procedure – Parking brake on, controls in neutral, engine off and keys out. Lower to the ground any raised implements or loaders.
· High visibility clothing to be worn in poor lighting conditions or where a specific risk assessment dictates, eg on or near the public highway.
· All drivers and operators of ATV must be correctly attired with protective helmet and clothing. Please view specific risk assessment.
· Operators of noisy vehicles without the protection of Q cab or where the cab is defective to wear ear protection. Staff should be reminded to avoid being in the vicinity of loud noise wherever possible. Please refer to specific noise assessment.
· Many accidents are caused by driver fatigue and Farms Area Mangers must ensure that in specific risk assessments this aspect is investigated. Drivers must be prepared to stop and take a break where necessary.
· It is prohibited to use hand held mobile phones whilst driving. University guidance can be found on:-
http://www.extra.reading.ac.uk/safety/H&Swebdocs/SafetyNotes/NOT22MobilePhones.doc.
· Where a seatbelt is fitted on a vehicle, then drivers must wear them.
· Passengers are not allowed in vehicle cabs unless they are sitting in a passenger seat, cannot impede the driver, accidentally contact machine controls or obscure the driver’s vision.
· Drivers must ensure that they drive in accordance with weather conditions.
· Vehicles are to be clean as possible with no accumulations of rubbish inside cabs etc..
Site Rules
· A strict speed limit of 10mph is in force throughout the site. All operators and drivers must obey all road traffic signage and the speed limit.
· It is particularly important that STOP and GIVEWAY signs are complied with.
· Drivers should be encouraged to report poor areas of visibility or where signs have been damaged or indeed if they feel additional signage is required.
· Farms area managers are required to at least annually audit their areas for condition of roads, paths and tracks and signage.
· Care must be employed when entering yard areas and to give due consideration to pedestrians and animals.
· When entering and exiting buildings, due caution must be made i.e. slow speed, use of horns and flashing amber beacons
· Use of mirrors a must be made when dealing with blind corners
· Reversing a vehicle is a major cause of accidents and should be avoided if at all possible by making use of one way systems. If this has to occur, then only when pedestrians have been excluded from the area, and the use of a banksman in high visibility clothing occurs or by proper use of mirrors and reversing alarms.
· Individual Farms Area Managers to ensure that they have considered traffic movement in each of their areas, decided on the safest routes and methods and brought this to the attention of all staff and visitors. Wherever possible segregation of pedestrians and vehicles should occur.
· Proper use must be made of seat adjustments, particularly with respect to suspension systems. Anti-vibration mountings must be regularly checked and replaced as necessary. Any back pain must be reported to the Farms Area Manager.
· Loading and unloading in areas ensure that pedestrians have been excluded from the area. Ensure the vehicle is braked and/or stabilised. Ensure that the safe working load of vehicles is not exceeded and that the heights of the load do not make it unstable. If unloading animals, check that appropriate races have been erected if necessary. If possible use a side of a building and ensure the loading and unloading takes place on firm level ground without potholes or bumps. Once loading has been completed, make a final check.
· Foreloaders to be maintained in the raised position when empty (to minimise the distance they project) and lowered when full (to maximise stability) except where there could be a risk eg on public roads or close to OHPL. For telescopic handlers the boom should be retracted fully and kept as close to the ground as possible to maximise stability.
· All vehicles should be provided with a fully charged and secured fire extinguisher and a first aid box.
· Vehicles must be parked in designated areas ensuring Means of escape and fire exits are not hindered.
Vehicle maintenance
· Only vehicles authorised by the Farms manager to be used for the Farms business. All such vehicles must be notified to The University insurer. The Farms will ensure that all vehicles have MOT where appropriate, be maintained and be insured.
· Pre use checks must be carried out in accordance with list i.e. lights, indicators oil pressure etc and defects noted.
· For those used on public highway, lights, mirrors, horns, reflectors indicators must be operational and number plates must be visible. Trailers must be correctly attired with lights and number plates.
· A Planned preventative maintenance is to be devised for all Farms vehicles.
· Defects found must be reported to the Farms Area Manager.
· Where there is a risk of overturn on a mobile piece of equipment, it must be fitted with a roll over protection structure which will prevent full overturning or protect the operator if a full overturn occurs, and a seatbelt.
Lifting operations
· The Farms manger in consultation with Farms area Managers will ensure that FMD are provided with a regular up-to-date list of vehicles that are required to be examined under LOLER regulations.
· Never exceed safe working loads or use damaged, worn or makeshift items.
· Do not ignore overload indicators on handling machines.
· All lifting operations are subject to risk assessment and staff involved must be aware of these.
· Only use the working platform for raising people above ground. Please see specific risk assessment.
Crossing highways
On occasions where it is necessary for vehicles to cross highways and for animals and pedestrians to cross the highway, a specific risk assessments should be conducted, but in the main, the following should be followed:-
· Planning of an operation to avoid the busiest times and poor light conditions.
· Ensure all self propelled vehicles comply with the relevant safety checks.
· When animals have to cross the highway, all staff must be assigned to a duty, whether leading, helping in maintaining the herd or working from behind. All staff working on the public highway must wear high visibility clothing minimal a tabard or jacket.