Transport of persons, equipment and materials

• Author: International Labour Organization
• Pages: 142-148

142 Meetings-MESHA-Final Code-2010-10-0355-1-En.doc/v2

15. Transport of persons, equipment

and materials

15.1. General

15.1.1. Transport of equipment, materials and persons is a key function in

agricultural production. It involves the loading, securing, relocating and unloading of

equipment, materials and people both on and off the employer’s premises. Conveyances of

all types may be used, but the focus of this section is on motor vehicles, including trucks,

buses and vans, agricultural equipment and trailers used to transport people, equipment,

supplies, commodities, livestock, poultry and wastes.

15.1.2. The guidance offered here addresses hazards in transport with the potential

to cause injury to workers and others and to cause material damage due to interactions

between transport vehicles, equipment, loads, other objects, animals, people, infrastructure

and the surrounding environment. Hazards not directly related to vehicular transport, such

as those involving entanglement in moving parts or the manual handling of loads, are dealt

with elsewhere in the code of practice.

15.2. Hazard identification

15.2.1. Operators of vehicles for the transport of equipment and those assisting

them can be struck by moving, falling or shifting equipment while loading, unloading, or

transporting it. They can be crushed while hitching or attaching equipment to a prime

mover. They can fall while securing the equipment or be injured while installing the means

to secure it. They can be injured when the vehicle or the equipment collides with objects

during transport, which can also result in harm to other persons as well as property

damage.

15.2.2. Operators of vehicles for the transport of materials as well as those assisting

them can fall or be struck, engulfed or overcome while loading or unloading animals,

wastes, supplies or commodities. Materials used in farming such as pesticides, soil

amendments and fuels are hazardous. Loads can leak, spill, or otherwise escape during

transport, especially in an upset or collision, causing harm not only to the operator but also

to other persons and to the environment.

15.2.3. Agricultural workers use a variety of vehicles for transportation, including

buses, trucks, trailers, automobiles, all-terrain vehicles, bicycles and agricultural

equipment. Operators and passengers can fall while mounting or dismounting. They can

fall within or from vehicles during transport. They can be injured by contact with interior

panelling or fixtures, other persons, or objects during unexpected stops and starts or in a

turnover or collision. They can be exposed to hazardous materials.

15.2.4. Beasts of burden, such as oxen, donkeys, mules, etc., are often used as a

means of transport of people, equipment and goods. The risks resulting in the care of such

beasts is addressed in Chapter 16.