Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls 

Slips, Trips and Falls are a common cause of injury for truck drivers. There are ways that you can prevent them:  

• Use the three-points of contact: When entering or exiting the truck, make contact with the truck in three places at once, such as two hands and one foot or one hand and two feet.  
• Always Face the Truck: Facing the truck increases control and makes using 3 points of contact easier.  
• Keep hands free. Avoid carrying items while entering or exiting the cab, so your hands are free to use the grab rails. 
• Wear proper shoes: Wear shoes with good support and slip-resistant soles.  
• Clean up spills: Clean up spills as soon as possible.  
• Be careful in inclement weather: Clean steps, handholds, and truck platforms before entering the cab. Use extra caution when exiting the truck in bad weather.  
• Don’t Jump: Serious injuries are often the result of jumping from the cab or steps.  
• Use a flashlight: If it’s dark, use a flashlight to avoid tripping over obstacles or slipping on slippery surfaces.  
• Pay Attention: Be aware of your surroundings and pay attention to possible hazards.  
• Take your time: Move carefully and deliberately 

When you let your guard down and do not follow safe right turn procedures, then collisions can occur.  

Common Right Turn Collision: 

• Sideswiping a vehicle while swinging wide to negotiate a tight turn. 
• Head-on collisions with opposing traffic while swinging wide. 
• Collisions with parked cars, fixed objects or pedestrians when cutting the corner too tightly. 
• Right turn squeezes — colliding with a car that tries to sneak by on the right when swinging wide. 

Best Practices for Safe Right Turns:  

• Get in the far-right lane in advance of the turn and activate your turn signal. 
• Check behind you. You need to track vehicles behind and to the side of you in case they try to pass during your turn. 
• Slow down to the appropriate speed and utilize the proper gear. Stop if traffic controls / signs require you to do so. 
• Scan for and yield to pedestrians and bicyclists. 
• Yield to oncoming and cross traffic. If you cannot make the turn without others having to slow or change lanes, wait for a larger opening in traffic. Remember, it can take 15 seconds or longer to move through an intersection from a stop. 
• Keep the rear of your rear of your truck or trailer close enough to the right curb or parked vehicles to prevent another vehicle from passing you on the right. See above picture. 
• Make your turn without crossing the center line of the street you are leaving and, if possible, not into the opposing traffic lanes of the road you are entering. 
• If you must leave your lane of traffic to negotiate the turn, it is generally better to stay in the lane you are coming from and swing wide into the lane you are turning into. See picture to the left. Do not turn into the lane until opposing traffic has passed. 
• If you get “caught” while swinging into the lane being turned into, yield and let the opposing traffic pass around you. Backing during a turn is very dangerous as it is difficult to see vehicles behind you and they are expecting you to go forward, not backward. 
• During the turn keep monitoring your mirrors, looking for vehicles that may try to pass on either side. 
• Use caution and follow best practices when making right turns to ensure they are made safely.  

General Manager – Risk

Risk Manager