Yard Truck Safety Tips

YardTruckExperts.com define a yard truck as a "speciality vehicle designed to move and spot trailers or containers in various applications, including warehousing, manufacturing, distribution centers and freight yards amongst others." Because yard trucks often work in restricted conditions, and with pedestrian staff nearby, safety is of paramount importance when operating a yard truck.

Minimize Pedestrian Staff in Yard

• The primary danger in the use of yard trucks is the danger of collision with staff on foot. To prevent this, implement a buddy system, so workers are constantly looking out for each other when working in the yard. Another good idea is to delineate "safe zones" in the yard so that staff are fully aware of where yard trucks and other vehicles are operating.

Increase Visibility

• If working at night or in poor visibility, yard trucks should be fully equipped with head and taillights to advertise their position to other yard workers, so drivers are fully aware of what is going on around them. In addition to this, any staff working in the yard must wear a high-visibility vest with reflective panels so that he is completely visible to drivers at all times.

Increase Training

• Make sure that yard truck operators and yard workers are fully trained in safety issues and correct working protocol. The combination of yard trucks, pedestrian workers and a confined working environment make building and freight yards an incredibly dangerous place to work, so training must be up to state law standards and as regular as possible. As well as basic training, make sure that staff are aware of the need to adhere to regular breaks. They should also know not to operate heavy machinery when tired or unwell. All of this will contribute to safety in the yard.

Regular Servicing of Vehicles

• Regular vehicle servicing will ensure that vehicles are operating at their most efficient as well as their most safe. Constantly testing vehicle features such as brakes, lighting and reverse alerts will result in a much safer working environment.

Yard Ramp Safety

• Mobile ramps are often used, in conjunction with forklifts and pallet-trucks, to load and un-load trucks. On the website yard-ramps.co.uk, there are some useful guidelines for the use of ramps with yard trucks. It advises to make sure the front lip of the yard ramp is connected to the floor of the container or truck body and the safety chains are correctly attached before use. Also, personnel should not use the yard ramp to enter the truck when it is in use by forklifts and that yard ramps should only be used on solid ground without a significant slope or tilt.