Withdrawal of HSE safety guidance angers Amicus

Amicus, the union organising workers in the print industry, has reacted angrily to the withdrawal of guidance from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on transporting paper.

Following discussions with the Department for Transport (DfT), the HSE announced in October that it was withdrawing its document Transporting paper safely: guidance for hauliers and others who transport paper and paper products.

The guidance included advice on securing tall paper reels, bales and palletised products on curtain-sided lorries, but the industry has now been advised to refer to a DfT code of practice instead.

"This whole process has been highly unsatisfactory," said Amicus assistant general secretary Tony Burke, adding that the move has left its members "unclear about what they should do". Although the DfT guidance has existed for some time, he said, "there is no evidence of it being enforced. In addition it only refers to the public highway and not loading/unloading operations."

The HSE has issued interim guidance on the issue, and Amicus is targeting inspectors from both the HSE and local authorities to ensure that they enforce it.

"We will be advising Amicus safety reps to approach their employers to clarify the standards that operate in their company for the loading and unloading of curtain sided vehicles," Burke added.

An Amicus briefing is available at www.amicustheunion.org/default.aspx?page=5649