MSHA issues alert for customer truck drivers

Arlington, VA — Six fatal incidents involving customer truck drivers in the past three years have prompted the Mine Safety and Health Administration to issue a safety alert.

MSHA highlights four of the incidents. In one of the cases, a truck driver was electrocuted while reentering the cab as the trailer tarping mechanism was in contact with an energized overhead power line. In another instance, a truck driver died when his trailer tipped onto the cab after the driver dumped gravel.

The agency offers best practices for safe operation involving and around trucks:

• Provide site-specific hazard awareness training to customers, including commercial over-the-road truck drivers.
• Alert customer truck drivers to changes in traffic procedures, patterns or road conditions.
• Provide fall protection or safe means of access to customers who need to gain access to containers or tankers on their vehicles if a danger of falling exists.
• Provide and maintain a safe location for drivers to tarp their loads.
• Ensure customers follow proper loading and dumping procedures.