Truck

Design Considerations

Effective fall protection for truck drivers and other trucking employees must take into consideration factors such as trailer style, traffic volume in adjacent areas, and terminal or loading/unloading area layout. Environmental factors such as indoor or outdoor use and the presence of overhead cranes will influence design decisions as well.

Horizontal lifelines used over trailer beds with unprotected leading edges of four feet or less are often ineffective because impacts could occur before the fall is arrested. As a result, rigid rail or rigid beam fall arrest systems are often specified to minimize deflection. When used in conjunction with a rigid rail system, self-retracting lifelines can arrest falls within a 2-foot drop.

For tankers and bulk solid haulers, fixed platforms with fold-down gangways allow personnel to safely reach the top and attach to a rigid rail trolley fall arrest system. Care must be taken to consider the number of users and loads applied to the system to size the foundation correctly. Trolley beam systems run in parallel to provide ease of access for multiple users, or the fall arrest system can be constructed as a continuous, single-beam system.

Diversified Fall Protection has years of experience in the trucking industry and can implement a turnkey fall protection system that keeps workers safe at heights, and your facility in compliance with all OSHA fall protection requirements for trucks.