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Truck Drivers Safe Operating Procedures --
Many surface haulage fatalities have occurred from:
- drivers attempting to jump from a truck that is out of control;
- trucks going over the edge at dump points due to overtravel or the collapse of the edge of the slope;
- drivers being run over after parking their truck when the truck rolled; or
loss of control due to equipment failure
- Have you received training for the piece of equipment you are operating?
- Do you know what to do in case of:
-
» Runaway/Rollover
» Engine failure
» Steering problem
» Brake failure
» Tire failure
» Fire - Always wear your seatbelt. It's perhaps the single most important thing you can do to avoid being badly injured or killed while operating a truck.
- Don't rely on a berm to stop your vehicle. The typical axleheight berm will not, by itself, prevent a haul truck from leaving the roadway.
- Test brakes before going down a grade.
- If you lose control of the truck or roll it over, stay in the cab; don't attempt to jump free of the truck. Staying in the cab with your seatbelt fastened is your best chance to avoid serious injury.
- Know and follow safe loading and dumping procedures.
- Do not drive if you are tired or drowsy; operating safely takes alertness and concentration.
- Do not drive if you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol; impaired judgment increases the chances of an accident.
- Know and follow traffic patterns and rules.
- Reduce your speed where conditions warrant, such as at steeper grades, longer grades, around curves, at night, in congested areas, and under wet, snowy, icy, or foggy conditions.
- Communicate, such as by sounding the horn, before passing.
- Keep a safe following distance.
- Follow safe parking procedures. When parked on a grade, the wheels should be ade quately chocked and turned toward bank.
If not sure of any procedure, such as a traffic pattern or a dumping practice, stop and ask.
Report any unusual or potentially dangerous roadway conditions, such as a boulder on the roadway, to the appropriate person.
U.S. Department of Labor
Mine Safety and Health Administration