Safe inspection practices: 5 tips for pre-trip safety
March 20, 2024
Getting your drivers to conduct proper and thorough pre-trip inspections can feel like pulling teeth sometimes. To combat this, safety managers devise various ways to teach and enforce proper inspection practices—sometimes it’s a remedial training course, or walking them through it one-on-one, or hiding tags in places you know they should be inspecting to see if they find them. And while carriers might spend lots of time training their drivers on how to perform an inspection, how much time is spent on how to perform them safely?
Think about your dentist: before they even begin your check-up, they’ve inspected their instruments, PPE and more, because they want to make sure everything is as it should be before they start—just like a pre-trip inspection. But before they even do that, they’ll be sanitizing their hands and making sure they are in the right headspace to do the job—no one wants a dentist who is distracted or tired. If they can get those things in order, they’ll have a greater chance of catching things during their pre-checkup inspection and making them right.
Maybe you’ve told your drivers that they need to wear high-vis gear and safety boots when they are inspecting their trucks. Fair enough, but what else should they be paying attention to so they can do their inspection safely? Here are 5 tips to help ensure your drivers are safe when doing their pre-trip inspections:
- Are they good to go?
The most important part of preparing to do an inspection is for your driver to decide if they are in the right headspace to do the job. Encourage them to think about how they are feeling and take note of personal things that may be distracting them or are getting their emotions to run high. If that’s happening, they may want to take a break to get their head in the right place. Advise them to also reflect on how tired they’re feeling, or if they feel ill, and of course consider whether there are any drugs or alcohol in your system. These are all things that will cause problems when they are driving, but those things also increase the chances that they’ll miss something when doing the pre-trip.
- Inspect the location
Staying injury-free during inspection requires making sure the conditions are right before they begin. The vehicle should be on level ground, but remind them that they should also use wheel chocks for added safety—don’t get under, in front of or behind the vehicle if there is any chance of it moving. They need to use three points of contact when entering or exiting the vehicle, and should never jump down from the tractor or the trailer. For added safety, advise them to keep the ignition key with them as much as possible and be aware of other vehicles or suspicious activity nearby.
- Watch their step
Remind them to inspect the ground before the inspection begins, looking for oil or other fluid leaks. Of course, they will want to follow up on the sources of any fluid found, but before they even begin, they should be aware of surfaces that could cause you to slip. This also goes for bad weather—snow, rain or ice can make for hazardous walking, so a driver should be aware when the weather is working against them.
- Hot and sharp
Imagine that their truck has been sitting out in the sun for hours, and it’s a blisteringly hot day. Drivers need to be aware that metal surfaces can get hot enough to burn, so they should take care when moving around the vehicle. This isn’t just about wearing gloves—leaning or crawling under the vehicle can bring their arms in contact with hot metal, too. Also remind them to be aware of sharp edges or protruding metal—as they move around the vehicle, they should make sure to keep an eye on potential dangers like these.
- Light it up
Doing an inspection at night increases the chances of all of the dangers talked about so far. In the dark they may not be able to see protruding tools or other equipment, they won’t be able to see slippery surfaces as easily, and it may be harder to see suspicious activity. Make sure they’re equipped with several lighting options, including a headlamp and a handheld flashlight, and remind them to double-check that the batteries are working.
Getting your drivers to take pre-trip inspections seriously is probably going to take a multi-pronged, multi-step process of training, incentives and even penalties. But taking their safety seriously before they even begin the inspection will show them that you’re making safety a priority in all respects, and not just paying it lip-service.