Falls from Vehicles: A Hidden Working at Height Risk for HGV Drivers
In logistics and transport, safety conversations often orbit road risks: vehicle checks, tyre condition, load security, blind spots and reversing incidents. Yet one of the most serious dangers faced by HGV drivers happens when the engine is off and the wheels are still: falls from vehicles during loading and unloading.
Climbing onto a trailer to remove straps, adjust sheets, or check a load feels routine. Familiarity dulls the sense of danger. But these everyday tasks are legally classed as working at height and are a leading cause of serious injury across the transport sector.
Falls from vehicles are not freak accidents. They are predictable, preventable working at height incidents.
Falls From Vehicles: How Common Are They?
UK health and safety data shows that around 2,000 workers each year are seriously injured due to falls from vehicles, with an average of five fatalities annually. In most cases, the injured person is the driver, carrying out everyday duties.
Where these falls occur highlights the scale of the problem:
35% fall from the back of a lorry or trailer
31% from forklift forks
13% from cab steps
9% from the top of a load or trailer
4% from tanker steps
Over one-third of all falls happen directly from the trailer bed. A place accessed daily, often without dedicated fall prevention measures. These figures highlight a clear reality: loading areas and yards are high risk environments, not low risk routine spaces.
Routine Tasks Still Count as Working at Height
A fall from just 1–1.5 metres, the average trailer bed height, can result in:
Broken bones and fractures
Head injuries requiring first aid or emergency response
Spinal trauma
Long-term musculoskeletal injuries
Risk increases significantly when combined with:
Poor weather, wet or uneven ground
Inadequate lighting
Time pressure and rushed unloading
Lack of fixed access equipment
Working alone without supervision
These conditions transform “normal” work into a serious working at height hazard.
Legal Duties Under the Work at Height Regulations
Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, any task where a person could fall and be injured is classed as working at height — including accessing vehicles and trailers.
This means employers and site operators must ensure work is:
Avoided where reasonably practicable
Planned and risk assessed
Carried out using suitable access equipment
Properly supervised and managed
Responsibility does not sit with the driver alone. Transport managers, employers, and delivery sites all have a legal duty to provide a safe system of work.
The Role of Banksman Training in Preventing Falls
One of the most effective — and often overlooked — controls is banksman (vehicle marshalling) training.
A trained banksman plays a critical role in:
Managing vehicle movements in yards
Reducing the need for drivers to climb onto vehicles
Creating pedestrian and vehicle exclusion zones
Identifying unstable loads or unsafe ground conditions
Coordinating communication between drivers, forklifts, and site teams
Many incidents involving falls from vehicles involve poor communication, lack of supervision, or unclear responsibility. Effective banksman training closes this gap and supports safer loading and unloading practices.
Manual Handling, First Aid and Emergency Response
Falls from vehicles rarely occur in isolation. They often involve manual handling tasks, awkward postures, and lifting activities that increase injury severity.
That’s why training must go beyond prevention alone. Drivers and site staff also need:
Manual handling awareness to reduce strain and injury
First aid training to respond immediately to falls and trauma
Emergency response procedures to manage serious incidents effectively
Early intervention can significantly reduce injury severity and recovery time. Good safety management reduces delays caused by injuries, investigations and lost vehicle availability. Clear marshalling, proper access to equipment and trained personnel allow operations to run safely and efficiently.
Drivers should never feel pressured to “just climb up” when conditions are unsafe. Stopping and reassessing is not a delay — it’s professional practice.
Manual handling training for drivers reduces risk by teaching:
Safer task planning before climbing
Load assessment and alternative methods
Correct posture and movement
When to stop and request assistance
Reducing unnecessary climbing also reduces strain injuries and long-term health issues. When a fall does occur, the first few minutes matter.
Falls from vehicles commonly result in head injuries, internal bleeding or spinal trauma. Without proper first aid and emergency response training, well intentioned actions can make injuries worse.
Training ensures staff know how to:
Assess injuries safely
Manage casualties until emergency services arrive
Control bleeding and shock
Protect the spine and airway
Communicate effectively in an emergency
Why DAC Education Takes a Whole System Approach
At DAC Education, we focus on real world risks faced by transport and logistics professionals. Our training reflects what actually happens in yards, depots and delivery sites.
Our programmes include:
Working at Height Awareness
Manual Handling for Drivers
Banksman / Vehicle Marshalling Training
First Aid and Emergency Response Training
By training drivers, banksmen and managers together, we help organisations build safe systems of work, not just compliant paperwork.
