Franglais:
Very sad for the driver and his family.
We do a lot of drop ferry trailers. Seldom does anyone bother with park brakes. Many of our newer trailers have the handbrake button pop out as soon the red line is dropped. It can only be pushed in aftervred line reconnected. Much safer system.
Even on older trailers using or checking handbrakes only takes half a minute, given the risks it’s a good use of 30 seconds.
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Yup that’s a bad habit I’m forcing myself out of, I never applied trailer brake when doing ferry work. I look back and think ‘what a numpty’ now. Also imagine how the driver who dropped the trailer feels
Franglais:
Very sad for the driver and his family.
We do a lot of drop ferry trailers. Seldom does anyone bother with park brakes. Many of our newer trailers have the handbrake button pop out as soon the red line is dropped. It can only be pushed in aftervred line reconnected. Much safer system.
Even on older trailers using or checking handbrakes only takes half a minute, given the risks it’s a good use of 30 seconds.
Sent from my GT-S7275R using Tapatalk
Yup that’s a bad habit I’m forcing myself out of, I never applied trailer brake when doing ferry work. I look back and think ‘what a numpty’ now. Also imagine how the driver who dropped the trailer feels
The driver or shunter may be full of remorse and regret, and contemplating suicide. Or may not care. Or may not know.
Sadly, a driver lost his life for a stupid short cut … no way on earth would I not pop a trailer brake … shunters could whine as much as they like… they choose to do shunting jobs. As rightly said you would fail the test if it’s not applied so same principle works in RL.
mazzer wrote:
malcolmgbell wrote:
kjw21 wrote:
Radar19 wrote:
The trailers don’t have the trailer brake on because it’s a Ro-Ro terminal. They actively ask you not to use them. It’s written in big letters at Dockside.
Get a photo of that sign cos I’ll hazard a guess it might be disappearing soon.
They have basically made a rule that goes against one of the main safety rules of hooking up.
I can understand why from their point of view but I wouldn’t like to have to be stood explaining why “my site rules” overrule a prime safety guideline, which has been mentioned is an instant fail should you not follow when obtaining the license.
purfleet docks the same, i pull the brake on on the trailer around me just to wee them of
Smart move that and are you going to pay for 6 new super singles when the shunter flat spots the tyres as he pulls forwards, as Nodding Donkey states above it is the responsibility of the driver hooking up to the trailer to ensure the brake is on. Dock operations are running to tight schedules when loading boats, when dropping a trailer in any docks I will apply the brakes for uncoupling and then once finished release the brake and when hooking up put the brake on don’t see how this is dangerous or goes against any H & S rules. Drivers complain about being treated like retards yet seem to be their own worst enemy either by not being able to carry out a simple task such as hooking into a trailer or feeling the need to ■■■■ about with a trailer that has nothing to do with them just because it will wee off the shunter
+1 Brace yourself to be told you are an idiot who should be flogged for not following “h&s” rules like an automaton, but trying to help others get their job done.
As for Mr Bell, he comes across like the type that pulls the pin on parked trailers, because ’ the driver looked at me funny’.
Minister for Immigration.
Chief Grammar Commissar.
[The BRAKE aint a pin, well it weren’t the last time i looked, you might whan to check,whats your type then. no don’t answer i don’t whan to know]
Franglais:
Very sad for the driver and his family.
We do a lot of drop ferry trailers. Seldom does anyone bother with park brakes. Many of our newer trailers have the handbrake button pop out as soon the red line is dropped. It can only be pushed in aftervred line reconnected. Much safer system.
Even on older trailers using or checking handbrakes only takes half a minute, given the risks it’s a good use of 30 seconds.
Sent from my GT-S7275R using Tapatalk
Yup that’s a bad habit I’m forcing myself out of, I never applied trailer brake when doing ferry work. I look back and think ‘what a numpty’ now. Also imagine how the driver who dropped the trailer feels
Would the driver who dropped the trailer be partly responsible for this man’s death…
Franglais:
Very sad for the driver and his family.
We do a lot of drop ferry trailers. Seldom does anyone bother with park brakes. Many of our newer trailers have the handbrake button pop out as soon the red line is dropped. It can only be pushed in aftervred line reconnected. Much safer system.
Even on older trailers using or checking handbrakes only takes half a minute, given the risks it’s a good use of 30 seconds.
Sent from my GT-S7275R using Tapatalk
Yup that’s a bad habit I’m forcing myself out of, I never applied trailer brake when doing ferry work. I look back and think ‘what a numpty’ now. Also imagine how the driver who dropped the trailer feels
Would the driver who dropped the trailer be partly responsible for this man’s death…
Don’t see how it can be, it is your responsibility to ensure the security of the trailer before hooking in to it, in the same way as it is your responsibility to ensure everything else in the trailer is in working order.
I’d say not. The driver about to pick up is responsible for the process of actually hitching up and that includes the application/checking of the trailer brake.
Franglais:
Very sad for the driver and his family.
We do a lot of drop ferry trailers. Seldom does anyone bother with park brakes. Many of our newer trailers have the handbrake button pop out as soon the red line is dropped. It can only be pushed in aftervred line reconnected. Much safer system.
Even on older trailers using or checking handbrakes only takes half a minute, given the risks it’s a good use of 30 seconds.
Sent from my GT-S7275R using Tapatalk
Yup that’s a bad habit I’m forcing myself out of, I never applied trailer brake when doing ferry work. I look back and think ‘what a numpty’ now. Also imagine how the driver who dropped the trailer feels
Would the driver who dropped the trailer be partly responsible for this man’s death…
Don’t see how it can be, it is your responsibility to ensure the security of the trailer before hooking in to it, in the same way as it is your responsibility to ensure everything else in the trailer is in working order.
Yep true but it just speaks for itself that the firm is not enforcing proper hooking up and dropping procedures which has sadly cost someone’s life.
Let us remind ourselves nobody cares for us drivers,look after number 1.
If somebody tells you “don,t bother with the parking brake drive leave it off” i always reply you got no chance .“yeah its ok everybody does it” my reply is theres nice ,its going on.
Then i get my mobile phone out and cover myself ,take a video of the brake being put on.
There,s devices on the market which automatically put the park brake on when the red airline is disconnected .
Why weren,t these fitted?
I hope all the company,s involved get charged with corporate manslaughter!
It seems there is a long chain of events here where there must have been clues that something wasn’t right.
1/ not hearing the click as the fifth wheel hits the pin and then preventing you from reversing anymore
2/ tugging forward to check it’s locked
3/ putting the dog clip in, something must not have looked right at this point.
4/ not checking the brake was on especially if on an incline.
5/ something must not have looked right when jumping up to do the lines.
He must have missed some or all of these things, any one of which could have given a clue that something wasn’t normal. Maybe he was under pressure from his company so was taking short cuts. Which, if this is the case makes it even more tragic.
RIP and thoughts with his family, friends, and colleagues.
Before hitching up I always without fail do a quick walk round check clockwise checking tyres and anything else that might stop me going any further (obviously not lights at this stage) and on the way down the near side I always check the trailer brake, I’m not saying I’m right in what I do but it works for me.
Franglais:
Very sad for the driver and his family.
We do a lot of drop ferry trailers. Seldom does anyone bother with park brakes. Many of our newer trailers have the handbrake button pop out as soon the red line is dropped. It can only be pushed in aftervred line reconnected. Much safer system.
Even on older trailers using or checking handbrakes only takes half a minute, given the risks it’s a good use of 30 seconds.
Sent from my GT-S7275R using Tapatalk
Yup that’s a bad habit I’m forcing myself out of, I never applied trailer brake when doing ferry work. I look back and think ‘what a numpty’ now. Also imagine how the driver who dropped the trailer feels
When I first started I was doing a trailer change with an old driver. I did everything by the book and he told me not to bother with the brake for a change over. I ignored that advice and have still put the trailer brake on ever single time I’ve ever dropped a trailer. Also even though I’m guilty of not always checking the brake when hitching up, if it’s on any kind of incline I always check.
maestegboy:
The driver that dropped the trailer hasn,t followed safe working procedures,so he should face the consequenses.
And the company are not properly supervising their staff. etc etc
At the risk of being flippant - all that driver has got to say is “prove it!”
Can’t prove he didn’t leave the brake on - especially when others allegedly mess with standing trailer brakes “to wind the shunters up”.
And if your going down that route then you can say it’s 6 of one and half a dozen of the other.
1 driver didn’t put brake on, not following procedure, next driver didn’t check brake was on, not following procedure. As has already been said, I’m sure the driver feels bad enough already about it!
Davhat:
Very sad to hear this, rip to the driver,
First thing you should do when coupling up is a tug test to make sure the pins locked in, if you’re happy with that, get out and check the trailer brake is on before attempting to connect the susies, I always put my dog clip in before I check the trailer brake, we all have a certain routine when coupling and uncoupling, but whatever you do, make sure the pins locked in and the trailer brake is on before you climb onto that catwalk.
Stay safe fellas.
Is there any way you could do a tug test and be fooled into thinking you’ve coupled when you’ve actually jumped the pin?
Davhat:
Very sad to hear this, rip to the driver,
First thing you should do when coupling up is a tug test to make sure the pins locked in, if you’re happy with that, get out and check the trailer brake is on before attempting to connect the susies, I always put my dog clip in before I check the trailer brake, we all have a certain routine when coupling and uncoupling, but whatever you do, make sure the pins locked in and the trailer brake is on before you climb onto that catwalk.
Stay safe fellas.
Is there any way you could do a tug test and be fooled into thinking you’ve coupled when you’ve actually jumped the pin?
If there is, surely you’d then notice when you went to put your clip in, which surely is first thing you do as it’s next to you when you jump out of the unit
