The Incident After the Collision
While reversing a counterbalance truck in a warehouse, you strike a pedestrian who was walking behind the truck. The person is conscious but has a leg injury and is on the floor. The truck is stopped, the load (a pallet of boxed goods) is still on the forks about 300 mm off the ground. There is no first-aider immediately visible; a colleague is shouting; the warehouse manager is asking you to 'move the truck out of the aisle so the ambulance can get in'. You did not sound the horn before reversing because you were in a hurry.
1. Set out the immediate priorities in order, and say what you should and should not do with the truck.
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Immediate priorities (in order):
- Make the scene safe - stop the truck, apply the parking brake, lower the forks to the floor, neutral, key off. Do not leave the truck running.
- Do not move the injured person unless they are in immediate danger (e.g. another vehicle). Keep them still and warm; a leg injury may involve fractures or internal injury.
- Call for help - summon a first-aider and the emergency services (999) as appropriate. Give clear location and injury details.
- Keep the area clear of other vehicles and people; stop other traffic in the aisle.
- Reassure the casualty and stay with them until help arrives.
The truck:
- Do NOT move it on the manager's instruction until the casualty has been assessed and, ideally, the scene photographed/recorded. Moving it can worsen injury and destroys evidence.
- If the ambulance genuinely cannot access, coordinate with the emergency services - they will direct whether and how to move it. The manager's request does not override casualty care.
What not to do: Do not leave the scene, do not move the casualty unnecessarily, do not restart work.
2. What reporting and investigation obligations follow, and what does this incident tell you about the reversing procedure?
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Reporting:
- Record in the accident book immediately - date, time, location, people involved, what happened, injuries.
- Report to the HSE if the injury is a specified reportable injury (e.g. fracture other than to fingers/toes, or an over-7-day injury) under RIDDOR. The employer must report; the operator must ensure the supervisor knows.
- Notify the insurer as required by site procedure.
- Preserve evidence: truck position, load, CCTV, witness details.
Investigation:
- Establish root causes: no horn sounded, reversing without a banksman/spotter, pedestrian in a vehicle aisle, no segregation, rushing.
- Review the site traffic management plan - was reversing necessary? Could the route be one-way? Are pedestrian barriers adequate?
- Review training and supervision.
Reversing procedure lessons:
- Sound the horn before and during reversing.
- Use a banksman where visibility is restricted or pedestrians are present.
- Reverse only when necessary; plan the route to minimise reversing.
- Never reverse blind - if you cannot see, stop.
- Speed and hurry were contributing factors; schedule pressure must not override procedure.