Transportation safety toolbox talk

Transportation safety toolbox talk

Transportation safety should be encouraged by drivers, pedestrians and everyone using the road for daily activities.

Every year, people are knocked down by vehicles in a workplace and even end up killed. Some are being run over or crushed by these vehicle activities. In some cases, people fall from these vehicles and get injured themselves during activities involving unloading, offloading, working at height, etc.

The vehicles and equipment in the workplace involved in this are Trucks, HGV, tractors etc.

However, Safe transportation of goods and persons is essential even in the workplace because it helps the business to maintain its safety obligations.

Safety precautions for safe transportation should be encouraged by doing safety analysis and risk assessment and then communicating to all workers in workers in the workplace. 

Drivers should protect themselves against road accidents and other unsafe transportation practices.

What are the safety measures to be in place to ensure good transportation safety at work?

• Plan all journeys in your workplace with a journey management plan, especially long-distance journeys
• All persons involved in the journey management plan must be acquainted with it and know what it contains before embarking on the journey.
• Every driver must obey all traffic rules and stay vigilant at the wheel.
• When tired while on the wheel, ensure you stop and briefly rest before you continue the journey.
• Check the weather conditions and know when to travel with your vehicle. Anticipate the nature of the road during rain, snow or ice and put in measures to protect yourself.
• Check and inspect your vehicles thoroughly before you embark on any journey.
• Always keep your vehicle in good condition and every repair timely without delay. Check the parts such as the tyres, windscreens, mirrors, oil gauge, brakes, lights etc.
• Ensure that authorized drivers with valid driver’s licenses drive the vehicle.
• Do not drive under the influence of alcohol or certain prescription drugs.

• Carefully consider the safety of all persons moving around the workplace and put safety measures to guide them against a collision with moving vehicles and equipment. 

• Consider creating more barriers and demarcating pedestrian walkways from the vehicular route on site.
• Delivery drivers from contractors or suppliers can expose themselves to accidents, do well to consider them in all your safety measures.
• Consider a one-way system arrangement on your site to prevent collision with other vehicles.
• Remember to reverse at designated places and do not reverse where there is a risk of collision with other vehicles, people and materials.
• Create an appropriate crossing point for pedestrians and vehicles and make sure it is in use by everyone.
• Use high ways code signs in designing your traffic signs in the workplace and ensure they are at strategic places. Such traffic signs may include speed limits. Pedestrian crossing.
• Create safe areas for loading and offloading items in the workplace.
• Ensure there are designated car parking facilities for vehicles of visitors and everyone.
• Provide adequate light where people are working to ensure visibility against collision.
• Construct all the vehicular routes to be good, even and firm and with no steep areas.
• Use all vehicles should be used for their purposes.
• Always maintain good repair of all vehicles and equipment in the workplace.

• Do not allow people to climb on a vehicle to prevent a fall. If there is a need for a ladder to be in use for access to such a vehicle, ensure you construct a ladder with non-slip walkways and proper guard rails on them.
• Ensure there are rollover protective structures in the vehicles.
• Ensure that the seat belt is in good working condition.
• Continue to reassess the drivers from time to time to ensure they are knowledgeable on safe driving techniques.
• Supervise all drivers in their work and ensure that a good training schedule is available for them.

• Do not entertain overload of any kind in the vehicle.
• The use of a seat belt is mandatory. Always engage it when on the wheel.
• Be more careful when driving on highways and when entering a major road.
• Do not use your cell phone or answer a call while on the steering. If you must make the call, Park your vehicle to do so. 
• Do not drive when tired or drowsy doing this can cause an accident.
• Practise defensive driving whenever you are on the road.
• Ensure you use a caution sign when there is a vehicle break on the road to inform and warn other road users. Encourage the use of cones, traffic signs and other appropriate means.
• Do not drive in bad weather. E.g., thunderstorms, snow, and heavy rain.
• Be careful when transporting hazardous chemicals. Do not park anywhere on the road. Ensure to park at designated places.

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