Truck safety is complex but with potential injuries and death increasing, truck safety is also a paramount concern of our nation 's largest delivery system.
A Closer Look at Truck Safety
In the United States, there are nearly ten million people in trucking-related jobs with over 2 million tractor trailers hitting the roadways each year logging in almost 450 billion miles annually. Trucks account for 70 percent of freight transported in the United States with several trillion dollars of cargo being delivered in North America year in and year out.
OSHA reports that an average of 475,000 large trucks are involved in accidents each year causing over 5,000 deaths and 142,000 injuries with a quarter belonging to the drivers of the trucks. Truck operators are only responsible for 30 percent or less of the accidents. In addition to driving-related accidents, regulators issued numerous citations for improper guards on equipment, lack of personal protective equipment, improper grounding of equipment, and lack of proper fall protection. The sad reality is that employees in the trucking industry have more work-related fatalities than in any other occupation, with a full third of those deaths taking place off of the roadway. The industry also accounts for more non-fatal injuries requiring medical attention than any …show more content…
Whether you are opening a hatch or working on a tarp, when you leave the ground you are subject to a fall. Depending on your specific operation, OSHA standards require fall protection anytime your are at least 4-feet, 6-feet, or 8-feet off of the ground. Granted, the best fall system is one that does not have you on top of the truck, but sometimes you need to be. In those instances, fall protection needs to be in place. Consider beam and trolley systems, access platforms, lifelines, and so forth. Safety cages are always good options, and automatic tarping systems could be considered fall protection since it keeps employees off of the
A Closer Look at Truck Safety
In the United States, there are nearly ten million people in trucking-related jobs with over 2 million tractor trailers hitting the roadways each year logging in almost 450 billion miles annually. Trucks account for 70 percent of freight transported in the United States with several trillion dollars of cargo being delivered in North America year in and year out.
OSHA reports that an average of 475,000 large trucks are involved in accidents each year causing over 5,000 deaths and 142,000 injuries with a quarter belonging to the drivers of the trucks. Truck operators are only responsible for 30 percent or less of the accidents. In addition to driving-related accidents, regulators issued numerous citations for improper guards on equipment, lack of personal protective equipment, improper grounding of equipment, and lack of proper fall protection. The sad reality is that employees in the trucking industry have more work-related fatalities than in any other occupation, with a full third of those deaths taking place off of the roadway. The industry also accounts for more non-fatal injuries requiring medical attention than any …show more content…
Whether you are opening a hatch or working on a tarp, when you leave the ground you are subject to a fall. Depending on your specific operation, OSHA standards require fall protection anytime your are at least 4-feet, 6-feet, or 8-feet off of the ground. Granted, the best fall system is one that does not have you on top of the truck, but sometimes you need to be. In those instances, fall protection needs to be in place. Consider beam and trolley systems, access platforms, lifelines, and so forth. Safety cages are always good options, and automatic tarping systems could be considered fall protection since it keeps employees off of the