As with any other industry, the safety of those involved in logistics is paramount.
From the warehouses to the transport and delivery, these are just some of the ways that logistics companies ensure their staff remain safe.
1. Safe loading practices
Practices exist to ensure that freight goods are loaded safely. From proper advice for employees on how to lift items to providing equipment that prevents individuals from having to handle excessively heavy or awkward items, these practices are the guidelines that must be followed. If any company doesn’t and an employee suffers injury as a result, there can be severe consequences.
2. Speed management
Just like any vehicle on the road, freight truck drivers have to abide by the law and never exceed the speed limits outlined. This is for their safety, the safety of others and to make sure companies don’t get into trouble for this. One way in which speed management is being upheld is through the use of speed limiters. They’re a device that will restrict a vehicle to a certain high speed. In Queensland and NSW, most speed limiters are set to a maximum of 100km/hr.
3. Driver fatigue
Driver fatigue is a huge issue in logistics, especially when it comes to road freight. As we all know, driver fatigue severely impairs on a person’s reflexes and can lead to fatal accidents. Depending on the length of the freight route, drivers are allocated a certain amount of hours to sleeping, with trucks equipped with an environment fit for sleeping.
We’ve discussed driver fatigue and how to combat it in the past in this blog.
4. Vehicle compliance
Finally, the vehicles themselves have to comply with a number of high standards, the chief one being safety. An unsafe vehicle is a vehicle any reputable logistics company will never touch. Vehicles go through inspections to ensure they’re still compliant. If not, they cannot be used until all known issues are resolved, giving companies even more incentive to keep to standards.
If you would like to mention any other safety precautions you know of or think logistics companies should employ, feel free to share them with us in the comments below.