Queensland's major transport
industry association
Suite 1, 96 Cleveland Street
Stones Corner QLD 4120
Postal Address:
PO Box 325, Stones Corner QLD 4120
Phone: 07 3394 4388
Facsimile: 07 3397 9324
Email: admin@qta.com.au
Workplace Health & Safety
Many trucking operators would utilise forklifts in their business on a day to day basis. Many drivers would be exposed to the operation of forklifts when heavy vehicles pick up or drop off at your customer’s premises. The data associated with the use of forklifts clearly demonstrates that they are a high risk piece of machinery that requires considerable skill and an exercise of risk management in their use.
The number of fatalities and serious injuries arising from the use of forklift equipment across our industry and across Australia is not acceptable. The following is provided to assist members in managing that risk.
A link to the newly released Guidance Material for Forklifts which is a nationally harmonised document can be accessed at:
http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/resources/pdfs/forklift-safety-reducing-risks.pdf
Safe Handling when Securing Loads on Trucks
This guidance note provides advice for road transport operators and workers who load and unload trucks. It includes information on the safe handling of side-gates, side-curtains and application of restraint lashings and tensioning devices. This link is provided to assist operators in managing risk and reducing exposure to serious injury.
Transport & Storage Health & Safety Summit - Final Report
Fatality and injury rates in the transport and storage industry are unacceptably high. The transport and storage industry in Queensland is the second smallest industry sector in the state but has the second highest incidence of workplace injuries. The transport industry is unique; it interacts with every other industry in Queensland in a constantly changing work environment. Improving health and safety in the transport industry involves improvements in health and safety across the supply chain.
We need to create a supply chain that has safety as a priority at every step. With this vision, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ), in partnership with the Transport and Storage Industry Sector Standing Committee (ISSC), held a transport safety summit Your industry your safety: delivering in the supply chain (the Summit) in May 2009. We had this safety summit as it was identified that we required all stakeholders (government, employers and workers) working together to improve safety across the supply chain.
The Summit brought together over 160 people from the transport and storage, retail and wholesale, and manufacturing industries. Industry representatives from CEOs to truck drivers, worked together to identify critical health and safety issues across the supply chain. Industry representatives were asked for their views on safety issues and potential solutions. WHSQ made a commitment to report back on the Summit’s findings and provide a blue print for ‘Where to from here?’
A report has been written and published providing an overview of the Summit discussions and recommendations. The report can be accessed by clicking here.
Safety Management Systems for Small Transport Operators
The QTA Ltd was recently granted funding by the Workplace Health & Safety Qld Small Business Program to develop a Safety Management System (SMS) for Small Operators in the Road Freight/Transport Sector (20 employees or less).
Managing your Health & Safety obligations can be complicated and time consuming. The QTA understands the impact of this on small business, and with funding from Workplace Health & Safety Queensland, has developed a Safety Management System especially designed to assist small transport business implement simple policies and processes to manage safety.
Elements covered include:
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General Legal Obligations
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Management Commitment
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Consulting with your Workers
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Safe Work Procedures
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Training and Supervision
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Reporting
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Injury Management
Each topic is discussed in simple language, with "how to" guidance and references to further information provided at the end of each section.
An Easy-to-Use Solution for Your Business
This Safety Management System has been developed with the needs of small businesses operating in the road freight/transport industry in mind. Each element of the system is accompanied by a set of templates, which you can customise simply and use immediately. Templates include:
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WHS Policy
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Risk Assessment
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Safe Work Procedures
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Drug & Alcohol Policy
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Incident Reporting
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Hazard Identification
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Site Induction
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Emergency Plan
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Hazardous Substances
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Contractor Checklist
The QTA Safety Management System documentation is FREE to downloaded in Word or PDF version or is available on CD by contacting the QTA Ltd office by phone 07 3394 4388 or emailing admin@qta.com.au
PDF version (1.91MB)
Word version - Please contact the QTA Ltd office via email admin@qta.com.au for a copy.
Further information
The QTA Ltd can also offer referrals for assistance with implementing the material in your workplace.
We recommend this resource to you, as a way to meet your legal obligations and contractual requirements for managing health & safety in your business.