Vehicles can be a great addition to your workplace, as they can help you move large, heavy, or bulky items with ease. Vehicles can greatly increase your efficiency, but they are also large pieces of equipment that can be quite dangerous. Complete adequate research and workplace preparation to ensure the safety of your employees.
Make Sure Drivers Are Trained
As with any vehicle, drivers must be trained to drive the specific types of workplace vehicles that your company has. Driving workplace vehicles has some similarities to driving regular cars, but workplace vehicles are often different in their extra moving parts and functions. For example, a joey has an elevated work platform. This means that the driver’s platform can move up and down to reach things on high shelves in a warehouse. Because this work platform can move, it can crush fingers or other body parts that might be underneath. Make sure that your drivers are properly trained on differences such as these before operating vehicles inside your workplace.
Use Signs and Floor Markings
Signs and floor markings like the ones found on regular roads should be implemented in your workplace to maintain order and safety. These are not just for vehicle drivers. Pedestrian signs are just as important in a workplace as they are on the road. Almost all workplace vehicles are equipped with safety measures such as maximum speed caps and loud beeping sounds when backing, but they still cause major hazards for pedestrians. Signs remind pedestrian employees or visitors of active vehicles and hazards close by, helping them stay alert.
Devise a Way to Report Accidents
Before allowing vehicles to operate inside your workplace, you need to think of a way to report accidents. Allowing employees to report accidents can help you troubleshoot and prevent similar future accidents. For example, you might find patterns in equipment, tasks, or specific drivers in accidents, alerting you to changes that should be made in how things are done or who is operating the vehicles. In addition to written reports, it can be useful to have cameras installed in your workplace to provide unbiased and accurate evidence.
It may seem tedious to have complete training, install signs and floor markings, and think of a way to report accidents, but these measures will ultimately help you implement vehicles smoothly into your workplace. Safety should always come first in your workplace. Keeping your employees safe will help keep them happy at your company and increase productivity.
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