Materials
Handling: Vehicular Activities
Electrical contractors often use vans or trucks to
transport tools and supplies. Workers may have to reach
over or climb into the small, awkward areas of these
automobiles.
Contractors can implement the following solutions to
ease the tasks of transporting and retrieving supplies
and tools from automobiles.
| Reaching into a Vehicle |
Figure 1
Worker crouching in a cluttered van
Figure 2
Roll-out truck bed deck
| Potential Hazards:
- Crouching or kneeling to reach into the
back of a van (Figure 1) or a truck with a
shell might put contact stress on the knees
and stress on the lower back.
- Employers often use vans with a narrow, short access space to store
materials. Stooping and reaching may be required to access these
materials.
Possible Solutions:
- When working in cramped areas cannot be avoided, perform lifting tasks from
a kneeling position and pushing and pulling tasks from a crouched position. Use
knee pads when kneeling.
- Place the most commonly-used materials closest to doors or in outside truck bins, minimizing the stooping and reaching.
- Install a roll-out
truck bed deck (Figure 2). Materials will be free from the confines of the
truck shell and sides, allowing workers to gain easy access to the contents of
the truck. These deck platforms also provide a convenient waist-high work
space.
|
| Loading and Unloading |
Figure 3
Worker lifting heavy equipment
Figure 4
Hydraulic lift raising a mobile tool
box
| Potential
Hazards:
- Lifting and lowering materials and equipment from the back of vehicles may
place strain on the back.
- Lifting toolboxes, supplies, or other materials over the sides of the truck
may stress the shoulders and back.
Possible
Solutions:
- Use a vehicle with hydraulic
lift equipment (Figure 4).
- Use reach
forklifts that extend the forks over the truck sides and lift materials out
of the back.
- Use truck
ramps that allow workers to wheel loads in and out of the back of
vehicles.
- Reposition materials to minimize the need to lift over the sides of a truck
or latched tailgate. When this is not possible, try to position materials closer
to the tailgate so you can lift in the power
zone.
- Use a multiple-man lift when necessary. A rule of thumb is to use one person
for every 50 pounds.
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