Many workplaces have a constant flow of vehicles delivering or taking away goods crisscrossing their premises. Others require smaller vehicles to move things about on-site or carry out tasks such as taking things down from a shelf or digging a hole. Any one of these vehicles could injure and kill a worker in an instant.
Employers can do several things to increase the safety of their workers around vehicles:
Define specific zones for specific tasks
The loading bay is a classic example. Having a dedicated area for loading can help reduce the number of people that need to come into contact with vehicles.
Define specific pedestrian pathways
Warehouses should have lines marked on the floor to direct passengers safely around the building without entering the zones where a forklift could drop something onto their head or reverse into them.
Implement one-way systems for drivers
This can reduce the chance of a collision between two vehicles and the prospect of collisions between vehicles and pedestrians. Pedestrians only need to look one way, and drivers have a clearer view of any pedestrians ahead of them because there are no oncoming vehicles to obscure a driver’s view.
Enforce strict speed limits
Erecting signs with a low maximum speed is not enough. Someone needs to enforce those limits, as the faster a vehicle travels, the more harm it can do to someone on foot.
Ensure vehicles have working reversing signals
However annoying the sound of a reversing vehicle warning can be, it can help to save injuries and lives. Employers need to regularly check that they are functioning.
You’ll need to learn more about worker’s compensation if you suffer a vehicle injury in your workplace. Working with an experienced attorney can help to ensure that you receive any compensation to which you are rightfully entitled.
