Back in 2012 the Mineral Products association published a report stating that 50 tipover incidents were reported during the previous 3 years. So what makes an incident severe enough to get reported? And how many incidents go unreported? It can make you wonder! Fast forward to the more recent Transport For London commissioned report by WSP in March 2018 ‘Investigating The Construction Industries Use OF HGV Types’, and you realise when reading that report ‘although much is being done regarding site safety, the concern is that tippers can and do tip over while unloading’.
The data on the incidence of tip overs, particularly the relative incidence between rigid and articulated tippers, is poor. While incidents undoubtedly happen it seems that they are rare, and almost always avoidable. Some operators are content to use articulated tippers and ensure safety by checking construction sites, applying best practice for safe unloading, and training drivers appropriately. Others use articulated vehicles with safety adaptations or precautions ranging from non-stick liners to moving floors and tipping frames. TfL’s construction safety initiative, CLOCS, is setting standards for construction sites so that conditions can be assessed and improved for safe movement on site.
Some London Borough Councils have become directly involved with construction safety to enable all stakeholders to benefit from higher standards. For example, last year Newham Council created the Unite Construction Charter, that will not only improve employment conditions for construction workers employed by the council, but also ensure that building projects undertaken by the council are delivered to the highest standard. The Construction Charter ensures the council will be operating under best practice, ensuring building contractors and sub-contractors under the control of the local authority provide apprentice training, a safe working environment.
The implication is that for a specific category of stakeholder, namely residents, they experience minimal impact of noise and environmental disturbance. This is another area where horizontal discharge of materials using a belt drive system can be undertaken in the quietest, fastest, safest, currently possible, and with reduced pollution emissions. For the full Transport For London report go to:
https://constructionlogistics.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ICIU-HGVs-Final-Report.pdf