Covering loads to protect them during transit can be a risky task for truckers. Fall injuries often can occur during this task, which the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries estimates costs Washington truckers on average at least two months in lost time. To prevent such incidents, the department recommends:
- Employers should provide, and workers always should carry, a ladder that enables them to access the top of the load.
- Drivers should use tarping stations that customers make available.
- Dump trucks should be equipped with auto-tarping systems.
- Forklifts may be used to place tarps on top of the load, but do not ride the forks along with the tarp.
- Have drivers roll tarps out forward rather than pulling backward so edges and voids are visible.
Covering loads to protect them during transit can be a risky task for truckers. Fall injuries often can occur during this task, which the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries estimates costs Washington truckers on average at least two months in lost time. To prevent such incidents, the department recommends:
- Employers should provide, and workers always should carry, a ladder that enables them to access the top of the load.
- Drivers should use tarping stations that customers make available.
- Dump trucks should be equipped with auto-tarping systems.
- Forklifts may be used to place tarps on top of the load, but do not ride the forks along with the tarp.
- Have drivers roll tarps out forward rather than pulling backward so edges and voids are visible.
