Whether you manage a commercial or private roadside recovery company, there are numerous health and safety risks that can occur when your team is on the job. As an employer, it is your responsibility to keep your employees safe while they work. Not to mention, the happier, healthier and safer your team is, the less sick days they will take. Here are a few top tips to help you keep your roadside crew safe.
Train Your Employees
One of the best ways to ensure your team are safe on the road is to provide them with suitable training opportunities. All workers require adequate health and safety training before they begin working, and you have a legal responsibility to offer them this training. A good training program should educate them on the various risks of the job, how to assess the risks, and the precautions they should take to reduce these risks. Besides an education on how to keep themselves safe, they also need to understand how their work can affect others while they’re on the road. Training programs can be delivered by yourself or by an external trainer but ensure that they are done regularly and that you do not rely on any training that was given by a previous employer – it might not have been up to standard.
Maintain Recovery Vehicles and Equipment
In addition to health and safety training your employees should be completely confident when using recovery vehicles and equipment. They should also maintain the vehicles and equipment they use. After all, a malfunctioning vehicle and broken equipment can lead to accidents and injury. The vehicles and equipment should be fit for use, and there should be a regular inspection to spot any potential deterioration. From worn down tires to broken directional warning lights, make sure your recovery vehicles and equipment are in excellent condition.
Provide Protective Workwear
While your workers are on the road, they should be wearing the correct personal protective equipment (PPE). Depending on the job, this can include protective footwear, gloves and clothing. It can also include eye and head protection, such as goggles and a hard hat. Additionally, it is essential that your employees are obviously visible to motorists passing by. The risk of being hit by a passing vehicle is very real, with statistics indicating that there are around 6 to 8 roadside recovery worker fatalities every year. To reduce the risk of this happening to one of your team, give your employees high visibility workwear and make sure they use it. This work wear should be well-fitted, comfortable to wear and lightweight enough to work in. It should also be well-maintained so that the reflective material stays bright and bold.
Don’t Let Them Get Complacent
No matter what you do for a living, anyone can run the risk of getting into an accident if they become complacent. Once your workers have been in a job for a long time, they might become comfortable enough to forget to take proper safety measures. Stop this from happening by holding regular meetings about health and safety.
