Vehicle collisions on worksites are one of the leading causes of workplace injuries in the UK, and the number one cause of workplace fatalities across all industries. With heavy machinery, limited visibility, and complex site layouts, this risk is magnified.
A banksman plays a crucial role in mitigating these risks by directing vehicle movements, ensuring personal safety, and preventing costly damage. Below we’re exploring the role of a banksman, the key reversing accident categories, and how collaboration between drivers and banksmen can help to improve communication and make a meaningful difference to workplace safety.
The role of a banksman
A banksman is a trained professional responsible for guiding vehicle and plant movements on worksites. Their primary duties include ensuring safe vehicle operations by directing drivers using hand signals or radio communication and minimising blind spot risks, especially for large vehicles with restricted rearward visibility. By providing clear instructions, they help drivers navigate complex work environments safely.
Additionally, banksmen protect pedestrians by keeping unauthorised personnel away from hazardous areas and preventing property damage by ensuring vehicles manoeuvre safely around equipment and infrastructure. They also enhance efficiency by streamlining traffic flow and reducing delays caused by poorly managed vehicle movement. By acting as the eyes and ears of drivers, banksmen significantly reduce the likelihood of reversing accidents and workplace fatalities.
The three main categories of reversing accidents
1. Injuries to pedestrians
Reversing vehicles pose a severe threat to pedestrians on worksites. Many incidents occur due to poor visibility, lack of awareness, or failure to follow designated pedestrian routes.
Say a forklift operator is reversing in a busy warehouse and fails to see a worker walking behind the vehicle. Without a banksman to provide guidance, the worker could suffer a serious leg injury, leading to lost workdays, permanent mobility issues, and legal repercussions for the employer.
To prevent injuries to pedestrians, it’s crucial to establish clearly marked pedestrian-only zones to separate foot traffic from vehicle paths. Banksmen should be trained to use both visual and audible signals effectively to ensure their instructions are understood.
Awareness is a two-way street, however, and workers should also wear high-visibility clothing to make them easily identifiable, particularly in low-light conditions or congested work areas. Regular safety briefings and toolbox talks can reinforce the importance of staying within designated safe zones and remaining vigilant around moving vehicles.
2. Damage to objects in the workplace
Vehicles manoeuvring in confined spaces can easily collide with structures, machinery, or stock, resulting in expensive repairs and downtime. A common example might be a reversing dump truck accidentally striking some scaffolding, causing a partial collapse. This could then delay the project and require costly repairs or even cause a crushing injury.
To prevent damage to objects in the workplace, banksmen should position themselves in a clear line of sight to assist drivers, ensuring they have an unobstructed view of potential hazards. The use of barriers or bumpers can also help to protect fragile or high-value structures from accidental impact should an accident occur.
Additionally, regular safety briefings should be conducted to highlight potential hazards on-site and reinforce safe manoeuvring practices. Providing clear signage and marking out restricted zones can further reduce the likelihood of accidental collisions and help to subconsciously reinforce safe zones of movement over time.
3. Damage to street furniture
Outside of worksites, reversing accidents involving street furniture such as lamp posts, traffic signs, and bollards are common. These incidents not only result in financial penalties but can also pose risks to public safety. An example might be a delivery lorry attempting to reverse into a tight loading bay which accidentally collides with a lamppost, both causing obstruction and requiring emergency repairs by the local council.
To prevent damage to street furniture, drivers and banksmen should conduct a pre-movement assessment to identify potential hazards before reversing. The use of temporary protective barriers around sensitive structures can provide an extra layer of protection, but implementing designated reversing areas with clear signage will also help guide drivers into safe manoeuvring zones, reducing the likelihood of accidents.
It’s also valuable to periodically reassess the area around the worksite, as boundaries and conditions around it can change over time. Regular inspections of worksite perimeters can identify these potential risks, and ensure corrective measures are in place before situations escalate, and incidents occur.
Building collaboration between drivers and banksmen
For banksmen to be effective, strong communication and collaboration with drivers are essential. Comprehensive training should be provided for both drivers and banksmen to familiarise themselves with standardised signals and site-specific safety procedures. Ensuring consistency in communication through hand signals and, where necessary, two-way radios will both help to avoid misunderstandings and make them more efficient in their work.
Mutual trust and respect between banksmen and drivers are also valuable, as they must work together to maintain safety and efficiency. It’s easy to fall into the mindset that a banksman is unnecessary, particularly when nothing goes wrong for an extended period of time. Conducting daily pre-shift briefings helps highlight any unique hazards that require extra vigilance, both highlighting the value of the banksman, and ensuring that both parties are aware of potential challenges for the day ahead. This kind of active collaboration helps to reiterate the value of safety measures, creating a safer working environment where vehicle-related incidents are minimised, and productivity is enhanced.
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Contrary to some prevailing opinions, banksmen play an indispensable role in preventing workplace accidents involving reversing vehicles. Whether it’s protecting pedestrians, preventing damage to workplace infrastructure, or avoiding street furniture collisions, their expertise can significantly enhance site safety. By working together with drivers, they ensure that vehicle movements are conducted efficiently and without incident, making for a safer and more productive worksite.
To ensure your team is properly trained, consider enrolling in our Banksman Training Video Course, designed for professionals in the construction and heavy industry sectors. At just £20.00+VAT per person, this course is ideal for those responsible for vehicle movement, including site supervisors and managers. Click the link to start learning today and equip your team with the essential skills to improve workplace safety and reduce the risk of vehicle-related incidents.