Prevention of falls from tank containers

15 May 2006:

The International Tank Container Organisation (ITCO) has published a protocol on the prevention of falls from tank containers, such as those used to transport chemical substances by ship, road and rail. The safety protocol is aimed at minimising the risks associated with working at height on the top of tank containers.

The document was developed in co-operation with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) [http://www.hse.gov.uk] and supports an overall HSE programme seeking to reduce working at height risks across a range of industries.

The new protocol lays down recommended industry best practices for working on top of tank containers and asks each participant in the tank container supply chain (from consignors, loading depot operators and rail and shipping terminals to repair and storage depots, customer receiving facilities and tank container operators) to look at what their roles and responsibilities are for safe access.

As a first step, the ITCO protocol calls for the tank industry to minimise the need to access the tops of tank containers, not least by encouraging the provision of bottom loading facilities at the point of loading and bottom discharge arrangements at receiving terminals. However, the protocol recognises that the need to access the top of tank containers cannot always be eliminated. People working on top of tank containers need additional levels of protection and the document goes on to explain what features are suitable. The protocol can be accessed at [http://itco.be/download/protocol_prevention_falls.pdf]