Tarping – One of the Most Dangerous (and Loathed) Tasks of a Flatbed Trucker – No Matter the Weather

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Washington (State). Department of Labor and Industries
• Description:
  Tarping is hard work - from the heavy tarps to the uneven loads, not to mention wind, rain, or ice. How does one safely manage this necessary evil? The best advice is to stay off the load entirely if possible. If there is a tarping station or a tarping machine, use it. Even if you have to wait for it. Employers - Make sure your shippers know: 1. Your drivers have the right to refuse any "weather protect" load unless the shipper lifts the tarp with a forklift. 2. Your driver is required to refuse loads high enough that a ladder must be used to shoulder the tarp onto the load. Provide ladders and require drivers to use them to climb on loads. Again, they should never carry a tarp up a ladder. Although heavier, wooden ladders are more durable than aluminum ladders. Tarps should always be set on the load by a forklift. Drivers: If you are in freezing weather, ask to put your tarps inside a warm building while you are being loaded. This will allow the tarp to defrost a little and make it easier to handle. Never stand on the load or the tarp. Instead crawl on the load or tarp. Park on the leeward side of a large building or van trailer to block the wind before trying to tarp. On loads requiring two tarps, always unroll and completely secure the rear tarp before unrolling the front tarp. Secure all four corners first. If it's windy, attach rolled up straps to the grommets with bungees before dropping the sides to keep them flush with the cargo. Test for voids under the tarp before committing your weight, even when crawling. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Equipment Operation Injury Prevention Ladders Safety Practices Truck Drivers Trucking
• Publisher:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Guidance
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20058837
• Citation:
  Olympia, WA: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, 90-91-2012, 2012 Apr; :1
• Email:
  TruckingNews@KeepTruckingSafe.org
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2012
• Performing Organization:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Tarping - one of the most dangerous (and loathed) tasks of a flatbed trucker - no matter the weather
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d6fb177d3f89e0faa767c965c6de8cded17a6ace02266e4e5886d5a7684ced1e153681d11fec7429a5c040d75ba61885fda95d14f6d46600cdcd5621e132a37d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/223223/cdc_223223_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 217.37 KB ]