I have talked quite a bit in this space about safety and its importance in a fleet’s operation. Much of that talk has centered around driver safety.
This time I want to focus on shop safety. In doing research for a white paper, Fleet Safety Culture: Developing A Safety Culture Requires Total Commitment, I came across some interesting facts.
- There were 5,283 fatal workplace accidents in the U.S. in 2023.
- There were 2.6 million nonfatal workplace illnesses and injuries in 2023.
- There was a rise of 5.7% in preventable workplace deaths between 2021 and 2022.
Although those numbers are not very good, you need to understand what causes accidents in the shop so you can prevent them. Each year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issues a list of the most frequently cited safety violations. Some that I believe could impact shop safety include damaged equipment, inadequate training on how to use equipment and tools, electric hazards, and improper storage of materials.
There are also behaviors on the part of employees that can lead to injuries, and those include failure to comply with safety regulations, rushing or taking shortcuts, failure to wear proper personal protective equipment, and improper ergonomics when lifting, to name a few.
As with driver safety, fleet management needs to continually reinforce shop safety procedures and policies. Here’s a key thing to remember: If you're in management, don’t enter a shop without the proper PPE. You should wear high-visibility clothing and safety shoes. It is also important that you wear eye protection if you plan to cross the yellow line into the area where a technician is working. When in the shop, managers need to model proper safety protocol.
See also: What do you think of ELP enforcement?
In addition, conduct regular training in which you focus on some of the basics, such as using three points of contact when getting into and out of the cab of a truck (this doesn’t just apply to drivers; your technicians should be doing this whenever they need to get into or out of a vehicle), using wheel chocks, following proper lock out/tag out procedures, and keeping work areas neat to avoid trip hazards.
No one purposely operates in an unsafe manner, but sometimes people become complacent, so it’s a good idea to periodically conduct a shop safety audit. During the audit, look at things like shop housekeeping, use of PPE, tool and equipment storage, hazardous material storage and handling. In addition, ensure that all tools and equipment are in proper working order and not damaged in any way, as well as that electrical safety is adhered to.
If your shop safety audit reveals problems, take steps to immediately correct the problem and retrain technicians to reinforce your safety message.
Your goal should be zero shop accidents or injuries. Rewarding technicians working in shops that go a full year without an accident can be a strong motivator for everyone in the shop.
Shop safety should be as important to fleet management as driver safety, and they should reinforce their commitment to maintaining a safe working environment for all.
