Everything You Need to Know About Mobile Plant Risk Assessment

Mobile plants are equipment which is crafted with the mechanism of self-propulsion that requires some human assistance. Knowing mobile plants better will enable one to distinguish mobile risk assessment and health and safety issues that are usually associated with the mobile plant. Familiarity with mobile plants at workplace ensures awareness about the drawbacks and rewards that technology has to give us. Being safe in the workplace is the primary concern for the workers as well as the owners.

Types of Mobile Plant

Mobile plants have a wide range of options for us to offer. Common ones are tractors and earth-moving machinery.  Few specific plants used as per industry requirements are:

Mobile Plant Risk Assessment

• Industry – The most commonly used items are forklifts, sweepers, mobile cranes, lift trucks, elevating work platforms and others.
• Mining – Excavators, mobile cranes, bulldozers, pile drivers, front-end loaders, backhoes, scrapers, power shovels and lots more.
• Construction – Forklifts, mobile cranes, ditch diggers, dumpers, rollers, concrete placing units as well.
• Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing – These industries use tractors, graders, forklifts, timber jack de-limbers and others.

Similar types of plants and machines are also used in transport and storage purpose, communications, government administration and defence. You will also see these machines being used in retail and wholesale trade, utility supply and even in health and community services and all these machines require strategic mobile plant risk assessment.

High-Risk Activity

Working with or close to a mobile plant involves high risk to employers and therefore mobile plant risk assessment is a vital step to ensure safety and security of workers and contractors. The potential causes of injuries include:

• Unsafe vehicles and equipment failure,
• Pedestrian collisions and communication failures,
• Poor visibility or an incompetent or poorly trained operator,
• Operator distraction and inadequate risk-taking behaviour and much more.

The Statutory Requirements

There are a few statutory requirements for mobile plant risk assessment according to the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations or PUWER. This applies to all mobile equipment across all workplaces.

It is also required according to the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations or LOLER that deals with specific risks associated with equipment used for lifting loads.

Moreover, professional mobile plant operators should be appointed to carry out the task of operating a machine designed to do a specific job.

Other statutory requirements include proper level of fitness of the operators, effective supervision and communication. Rated loading capacity must not be exceeded and have proper safety zones to prevent any major catastrophic incident.

Desirable Compliance Factor

This involves identifying the hazards and its severity, level of compliance, knowledge of the business and machine operator and the probability of risks in the near future. It is only when you have desirable compliance work permit will be issued. The compliance factors include:

Mobile Plant Risk Assessment

• Business owners managing general risks
• Assurance of health and safety
• Maintaining and documenting the standard operating procedure
• Having specific control measures to prevent collision
• Authorizing trained persons only to operate
• Using the plant according to the design specification
• Removing the unused plant from site
• Installing warning devices and
• Inspecting and assessing plant by a competent person.

Identifying the risks and better monitoring is the key objective of mobile plant risk assessment. It will result in effective performance, reduced risks and safeguard compliance. It will help you to operate with a free mind and desirable compliance.

Help from An Agency

Hiring an agency for mobile plant risk assessment will ensure all legal requirements are adhered to before applying for a license. You will have site clearance according to the specific legislation. They will provide you with observation and assessment report, list of accessories to be replaced, identify improper process followed on site, and recommend visible sign boards and safety system.