Driving. No Room for Complacency!
The HSAW Act 2015, s. 36 states The PCBU (read: the principal contractor and the forest manager) must ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, (3) (d) the safe use of plant and (f) the provision of any information, training, instruction or supervision that is necessary to protect all persons from the risks arising from work carried out...
Those duties require diligence in two key areas;
(1) Regular driver assessment (SBO),
(2) Following Guidance e.g. the Safe Ops.
The Safe OP - Fatigue Management, Worker Health and Facilities encourages:
Principal contractors to provide (or appoint) extra supervision to cover any work during sleepiness dips especially for drivers of crew vehicles. It then asks are employees required to work for periods longer than 8 hours, and (including travel time) longer than 10 hours? (equating to 40 hours of work per week extending to 50 hours including travel).
It then advises: Re-structure the work back to normal (40/50) ASAP and share driving responsibilities or appoint an observer's driver. These are just a few of the steps that could be taken!
With Winter Approaching: 5 Point Plan for Tracks and Surfaces
- Inspect the block - identify all tracks and surfaces that could be driven across.
- Assess the tracks and surfaces - clearly making them either go or no-go zones.
- Record the zones clearly, e.g. on a map and attach this to the work prescription.
- Adjust - use a Track Risk Assessment tool. This is a decision support tool (provided by PF Olsen) for when things change e.g. if unfavourable weather sets in.
- Monitor - physically check conformance with the rules and the plan in place.
View this article in Safety Bulletin 112