The move follows the involvement of this type of stabiliser in a fatal incident at a Skanska site at Shirehampton, Bristol last September.

Skanska said the ban will help avoid the risk of operators becoming trapped by ‘swing-up’ stabilisers that can inadvertently be rotated and drawn into the area where fixed controls are in position.

The contractor has worked closely with the HSE the Association of Lorry Loaders Manufacturers and Importers (ALLMI) and directly with manufacturers to highlight the risk to operators of being crushed by this type of stabiliser.

ALLMI has now issued instructions to all manufacturers and training companies to provide additional information in their training materials to highlight the risk of inadvertent operation resulting in the operator being struck by the stabiliser when using this type of equipment.

Vehicles affected by this ban are not widespread across Skanska’s sites and projects. In a recent survey, 47 lorry loader-related unloading activities were reviewed and only two operated with the stabiliser being able to be moved across the fixed controls.

Vehicles affected by the ban are predominantly those delivering bulky items such as cabins and welfare units.

The ban comes into force on all Skanska UK worksites from Monday 1 August 2022.