BSI has published Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 13, Code of practice for safety barriers used in traffic management within workplace environments with test methods for safety barrier impact resilience.
According to Health and Safety Executive statistics approximately 50 people are killed each year, and more than 5,000 injured, in accidents involving workplace transport. PAS 13 outlines the current good practice traffic management procedures for a workplace and provides a standard for the safety barriers within them.
Mixing vehicles and pedestrians increases the risk of potential accidents, so it is imperative that steps are taken to minimize the associated risks. PAS 13 gives recommendations for impact resilience, dimensions and positions of safety barriers in the workplace; guidance on how to manage the risks associated with vehicles within the workplace; and specifies the criteria for testing the impact resilience of a barrier.
The PAS was developed using a collaborative consensus-based process with input from experts such as Allianz Insurance, British Industrial Truck Association, DHL, Health and Safety Executive, Jaguar Land Rover, The University of Manchester, and the School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, among others.
PAS 13 addresses the importance of a workplace having a safe system of traffic management, including methods and procedures for arrival, reception, unloading, and movement of vehicles within the workplace. It is applicable to safety barriers used where there is a risk of collision between workplace vehicles or machinery and pedestrians, and is intended to be used by those who are concerned with selecting the appropriate safety barrier for their workplace to protect personnel, vehicles and structures.
Anne Hayes, Head of Governance and Resilience at BSI, said: “Workplace safety is a serious matter not only for businesses and their employees, but also for the general public who may interact within the geographical environment where businesses operate. BSI’s new code of practice is a valuable guidance tool for any person with a health and safety focus, especially where moving vehicles or the protection of personnel, equipment and vital structures is concerned.
“Each workplace is unique and presents different hazards and risks. With a well-designed and maintained workplace with a reasonable segregation of vehicles and people, fewer workplace accidents are likely to arise.”
Health and safety managers, procurement specialists, directors, facility managers, project managers and site safety leaders will benefit from PAS 13. It will also likely be of interest to those who want to apply traffic management procedures and those who test and measure the performance of safety barriers will also benefit from PAS, and manufacturers and distributors of safety barriers.
