Vehicles are the biggest single killer at work — on the road and at the yard
Vehicles are the single biggest cause of work-related death in New Zealand, so transport is a high-harm sector. The risks run from driving itself and driver fatigue to loading, unloading and reversing in the yard. Work-related driving is covered by the HSWA, and commercial drivers also have specific work-time and logbook rules on top.
The vehicle is both the tool and the hazard — and vehicles kill more workers than anything else.
Across every industry, vehicles are the biggest single cause of work-related death, and in transport the exposure is constant. The danger isn't only on the open road: a large share of serious harm happens in yards and at the kerb during loading, unloading, coupling and reversing, where people and heavy vehicles share the same space. Treating both the journey and the yard as hazards is the starting point.
Manage the whole task, not just the drive.
| Risk | What to manage |
|---|---|
| Driving | Journey planning, vehicle condition, driver competence, speed and distraction. |
| Fatigue | Realistic schedules, breaks, and not driving home after an over-long shift. |
| Loading & unloading | Load restraint, safe access, and keeping people clear of moving loads. |
| Yard & reversing | Separate people from vehicles, manage blind spots, and control reversing. |
| Loads & dangerous goods | Correct restraint and, where relevant, dangerous-goods rules. |
Good transport safety covers the driver, the vehicle, the loading task and the schedule together.
Plan journeys with realistic times that don't push drivers into fatigue, keep vehicles maintained and roadworthy, and make sure drivers are competent for what they drive. In the yard, separate people from vehicles and control reversing and loading. On top of the general HSWA duty, commercial drivers must follow the land-transport work-time and logbook rules — but those are a floor, not a ceiling: you still have to manage fatigue beyond the legal hours.
These cover the core transport risks in detail.
Fleet, fatigue and yard hazards in one place. Book a demo and we'll show you how it works — free 30-day trial included.
Yes. A vehicle used for work is a workplace, so driving for work is covered by the HSWA. The PCBU must manage the risks of work-related driving so far as is reasonably practicable, alongside any specific land-transport rules.
Driving itself and driver fatigue, plus loading, unloading and reversing in yards where people and heavy vehicles share space. Vehicles are the single biggest cause of work-related death, so both the journey and the yard need managing.
Yes. Commercial drivers have specific work-time and logbook rules under New Zealand's land-transport rules. These set maximum work and minimum rest periods, but they are a floor — you must still manage fatigue beyond the legal hours under the HSWA.
Restrain loads correctly, provide safe access to and around vehicles, and keep people clear of moving loads and equipment. Loading areas should separate people from vehicles and control reversing, which causes a significant share of yard incidents.
Separate pedestrians from vehicles, use traffic management in the yard, manage blind spots with mirrors, cameras or spotters, and control reversing with set routes and procedures. A traffic management plan for the site is the practical tool for this.
