Adopt a High Standard of Health & Safety When Using Aluminium Trailers & Loading Ramps

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We cannot understate the importance of health and safety, particularly when using a high standard aluminium trailer, coupled with the highest standard loading rampsWhen you’re working with quality, it doesn’t mean that you should drop your guard and get lazy when it comes to health & safety. Just because something was built to a high standard, it doesn’t mean that you get a free pass when it comes to taking precautions. Accidents can happen, regardless to how strong a ramp is, or how light-weight your trailer. In this post we’re going to explore some simple health & safety tips when loading and unloading heavy-duty equipment:

1 – Secure your ramps properly

Now, this might be a given to most of you, but you’d be surprised by the amount of people will rush a job and fail to secure their ramps to a trailer properly. An insecure ramp is guaranteed to slip and cause catastrophic damage. Before you begin any loading or unloading, you must make certain that your ramps are properly attached. Once you’ve done your checks you can begin the loading and unloading process safely and without cause for concern.

2 – Check your clearance area

This is something that many people miss when loading and unloading heavy-duty equipment: the clearance area between the bottom of the load and the edge of your trailer. The quickest way to envision that is pushing a sofa through a door around a corner; it’s gonna get stuck. The difference is, when loading heavy-duty equipment, the damage could be so much more than a little scuff on the wall.

It’s all very well buying the highest standard loading ramps if they’re unsuitable for the task at hand. So, be sure to check your clearance area first and then consider purchasing a loading ramp with an arch. This will lift the backend of a load, alleviating any risk of getting your load stuck as it approaches the trailer.

3 – Be mindful of the loading angle

Again, we might be teaching you to suck eggs here, but for those who are new to the game should pay close attention. Loading at too steep an angle is asking for trouble. The softer the gradient, the less resistance you will face when loading your heavy-duty equipment. The best way to solve this problem is to opt for longer, arched loading ramps. However, you must ensure that you have enough room to do so. If you can’t seem to find a safe solution, then another loading or unloading alternative must be considered. Do not take unnecessary risks that could result in serious injury or damage to property.

4 -Always control your loading and unloading speed

You should never feel pressured to rush a job when it comes to loading and unloading heavy-duty equipment. Trying to load a trailer too quickly is asking for trouble. In fact, the number of things that can go wrong is terrifying. As such, you should always take your time and maintain a steady speed when doing so.

5 – Seek assistance where appropriate

It may not always be possible, but you should always endeavour to have at least one other person to assist you. Certainly, there’s no good grabbing an 80-year-old woman off the street and ask her to help you push a heavy load onto a trailer; however, hiring an extra hand or two can save you a world of hurt.

6 – Be mindful of weight when loading and unloading

Again, just because you have the highest standard loading ramps, it doesn’t mean that you will be able to load and unload anything you like. You have to ensure that you are working to the correct and appropriate load weight. Especially when putting something onto your trailer. If you don’t pay attention to this and you rush an item onto your trailer, if it’s too heavy, you’re going to have an absolute nightmare on your hands. Take your time, do your research and be thorough when doing so.

Provided that you follow these tips carefully, then you shouldn’t run in to any problems. We appreciate that many of these points will have been obvious to most of you, however it’s surprising how many people forget. Don’t end up an internet sensation because you’re the guy on that funny video flying through the air because you didn’t bother checking the weight of a load!