What is Vehicle Edge Protection?
Vehicle edge protection is a means of protecting workers against falling from height whilst working on top or around a vehicle or trailer. It is the responsibility of an employer to take suitable and effective measures to prevent anyone from falling a distance that is likely to hurt them.
At what height is vehicle edge protection required?
Vehicle Edge protection should be installed (according to EN13374) where there is a fall from height of 2m or more. However most risk assessments identify a fall of 500mm or more, to be a risk of injury therefore some kind of edge protection or personal arrest system should be put in place to alleviate the risk to employees working on or around lorries and trailers.
What types of vehicle edge protection are available?
Personal – This refers to a system which is used to stop a worker in a fall before the worker hits the surface. This system consists of a body harness, anchorage, connectors, a lanyard, lifeline or deceleration device or any combination of these. These systems can either be fitted to the vehicle bed or a post-mounted on site.
Collective – This refers to systems which allow maximum freedom of movement from the worker. These include hand or guard rails which act as edge protection and provide full safe, unrestricted access, airbags/landing mats and fold down walkways as another option
Examples of Vehicle edge protection systems
An example of a transportable, personal fall arrest system which can be used to prevent workers from falling from a vehicle.
This system includes a Fall Arrest Davit, Fully Adjustable base, Kentledge block (precast concrete block) and lanyard. Once setup, this system can be moved around a site using a forklift.
View: Trailersafe
An example of a collective vehicle edge protection system which allows maximum freedom of movement from the worker.
This system is a temporary guardrail system designed to protect operatives from falling from the trailer bed. it can be installed/uninstalled by a single operative working from the ground onto a full sized trailer in roughly 10 minutes.
View: Trailer Guard
