Flatbed vehicles are widely used to transport many types of goods on the road and are especially popular in the Plant and Tool Hire Industries. The easy access to the equipment being transported and the flexibility an open flatbed gives for different sized loads makes it the ‘go-to’ vehicle for hirers of all types of plant and equipment.
With this flexibility comes the associated risks! The HSE published the below statement in 2016.
They (Flatbed vehicles) offer advantages over closed vehicles in terms of easy access to the load bed for loading and unloading and versatility of use. A number of fatal or major incidents are reported to HSE and local authorities where drivers, members of the public, or site personnel have been injured during the loading and unloading of these vehicles.
The easiest way to reduce or remove falls from these types of vehicles is to install a handrail system. The Hi Vis Ratchet strap system from HTS is the perfect product for such a task. This loading strap can also be used as a Lorry Edge Protection Lashing System. The 50mm webbing and snap hook ends allows the strap to be used to create a safe and fully compliant barrier system around any flatbed vehicle that features upright barrier posts. This strap type system offers a huge amount of flexibility and allows the user to secure the rail around irregular loads or other obstacles, which is not an option that is available when using a solid bar.
