This guidance note aims to help ensure best practice. It will be regularly revised to reflect new innovations which further control risk, e.g. from ideas generated by the annual QPA H&S Awards. It is intended that in future developments the scope also will be widened. It is recommended that sites have clear signage at their entrances and at their weighbridges that reinforce the message that climbing onto loaded vehicles is prohibited. A number of industry activities are considered and a hierarchy of control measures described which if applied will significantly reduce the falls from height risk.

The Building Products Delivery Working Group (BPDWG) is a UK committee of manufacturers, logistics & transport companies and regulators (HSE). The aim of the BPDWG is to aid in developing best practice in the Building Products Supply Industry for loading, moving and unloading goods safely. As a recent initiative, the committee examined ways of eliminating or reducing the risks of working at height associated with the use of load security techniques in the UK. This document reports the findings of that study. The intent is to illustrate what equipment and methods are available and offer a general insight into their capability and limitations. This may assist in determining what equipment or methods may best suit a company’s needs based on a suitable assessment of risks to health and safety and taking into account the environment in which the equipment is to be used and relevant economic factors. This does not detract from the need to comply with current legislation.