It's the beginning of 2016, and we want to start off the year right by reminding you of the importance of safety when it comes to yard trucks and lifting heavy objects. In our industry, we take safety very seriously, and for good reason. A recent National Post article titled Big Cars Kill, says, "For every 450 kilograms added to the weight of a car (roughly the difference between a Toyota Prius and a Ford Taurus), a vehicle becomes 40 percent more likely to turn an otherwise survivable crash into a fatal collision." That means that you carry a huge responsibility if you work with yard trucks on a daily basis.

Safety in the Yard

In a truck yard, there are a lot of moving parts. People are walking around everywhere carrying heavy items, and multiple giant trucks are trying to back up and unload as quickly as possible. This creates a very dangerous working environment, where it is important to be aware of your surroundings at all times and take certain precautions to protect yourself and others.

Each company should have a specific plan in addition to the following general safety guidelines.

General Yard Truck Safety Guidelines

• Yard truck maintenance: It is important to have your yard trucks on a regular maintenance schedule so that audible reverse warnings, headlights, tail lights, and emergency lights are visible to others both day and night.

• Keep a distance from other yard trucks: Especially when another truck is backing up, it is important to give the other vehicle the right of way and to give them extra space to operate. Never try to cut across the path of a car that is in reverse.
• Do not speed: There is no reason to ever go over the speed limit in a truck yard. It increases the risk of injury and death. Generally speaking, trucks should not exceed 10mph in a truck yard.
• Be aware of your surroundings at all times: We mentioned this before, but whether you are driving a truck or on foot, it is extremely important to be aware of the other yard trucks and workers around you. This may be the most important step in keeping workers safe in the yard.

Watch Your Back

Far too many back injuries occur when people try to lift or move loads improperly. It is very important to lift objects from your legs and not your back.

Think before you lift

Before you begin to move a heavy object, it is important to assess the weight of the object. If the object is too heavy, ask for help. If you are trying to hurry and get a truck unloaded, you will waste more time by straining your back. The average worker misses 7 days of work a year due to back injuries. Also, make sure that you have another person there to help you if you can not see over the box that you are carrying. In a yard where multiple trucks are going in multiple directions, being able to see in front of you is vital to your safety. It is also important to plan your lift. Before you just grab something and go, make sure your path is clear of any obstacles.

Lifting an object

If you are lifting a heavy object off the ground, stand directly in front of the object with your feet shoulder's distance apart. Squat down bending your knees, grasp the object and stand straight up, using your legs and buttocks. It is very important that you keep your back straight and do not bend over to pick up the object, as this causes back injury.

If you are going to be carrying an object located above your head, it is important to get a stool so that you can get a better grip and do not pull the heavy object down on top of you.

Lowering an object

Often times, the injury occurs at the end of the lift, because workers do not properly unload the heavy object. It is very important that when you set down a heavy object, you keep the same form as the lift, bending your knees and squatting down while keeping your back straight. It is important that you do no try to bend over to get the object further out in front of you. Set the object straight down at your feet and then push it into place once it is on the ground if you must.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and make safety a priority!

If you are interested, check out this blog on Why Ottawa's are the Safest Yard Trucks and make sure to stay safe this winter.