Safely immobilising vehicles campaign

Vehicle roll-away incidents pose grave risks to workers and others and unfortunately continue to occur across all industry sectors.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) is conducting an all industry campaign throughout Queensland in 2024 that will assess the risks of vehicles and buses rolling away or moving unintentionally, causing fatalities, serious injuries and property damage.

Campaign focus

The campaign aims to increase awareness of roll-way risks and controls through industry education and awareness. During the enforcement phase inspectors will visit workplaces across all industries to assess compliance.

The campaign will focus on transport operators (buses and trucks) and targeted high-risk workplaces where such vehicles attend:

• safe systems of work for vehicles exiting and entering sites
• safe systems of work for workers exiting and entering vehicles during work
• adequate worker training, information, supervision and instruction to manage immobilisation risks
• ensuring vehicles are properly maintained
• use of (where appropriate) and maintenance of brake alarms and automatic braking systems
• consultative and/or contractual arrangements between businesses that address and manage vehicle immobilisation risks, between:
  • workplaces with bus and transport operators coming onto their sites
  • transport operators (with fleets) and their subcontractors/supply chains.

A key campaign message will be vehicles used for work are considered a workplace under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and therefore, safe systems of work need to be adopted and implemented as is the case in normal workplace settings.

Persons who manage sites where work vehicles visit, or those who own or operate work vehicles should not expect immobilisation risks to be managed solely by workers applying their handbrake. These risks should be managed systematically and holistically, using the highest level of control measures available. Some examples of higher order controls are detailed in the resources listed below.

If you have any interesting or innovative solutions that you would like to share with the broader industry, please email IndustryStrategy@oir.qld.gov.au.

Resources for all vehicles

• Industry solution – Hydraulic hoist and vehicle isolation
• Managing the risks of plant in the workplace Code of Practice 2021 (PDF, 1.57 MB)
• Safe immobilising of vehicles self-assessment checklist (PDF, 1.05 MB)

Heavy vehicle resources

• Safely immobilising heavy vehicles and trailers campaign report (PDF, 0.37 MB)
• Safely immobilising heavy vehicles and trailers checklist (PDF, 0.46 MB)
• Russell Transport case study: Retrofitting a hand-brake alarm
• Short film – Coupling and de-coupling trailers safely
• Short film – Safe systems to immobilise heavy vehicles and trailers
• Vehicle loading cranes self-assessment tool (PDF, 0.25 MB)
• Webinar – Safely immobilising heavy vehicles and trailers
• Safety alert – Heavy vehicles and trailers hitting or crushing workers

Where to get help

Take advantage of the tailored, face-to-face advice provided by our Injury Prevention and Management (IPaM) advisors. IPaM advisors can assist you assess your systems for safely immobilising vehicles and advise you on how to make improvements. IPaM is free for Queensland businesses. Register for IPaM now to talk to an advisor or email for more information.