Saturday, July 27, 2024
Managing vehicle and equipment inspections can be a complex and challenging task. The OSHA 1926 standard sets the requirements for these inspections in the construction industry. The 1926.601 standard covers the use of motor vehicles, mechanized equipment, and marine operations as do many other OSHA regulations. Today I want to focus on pre-use inspections of vehicles. According to this standard, all vehicles in use must be inspected at the beginning of each shift to ensure that the parts, equipment, and accessories are in safe operating condition and free of apparent damage that could cause failure while in use. Furthermore, the findings of these inspections must be communicated to employers, and the vehicle should not be operated until any issues have been addressed.
Conducting pre-shift inspections is crucial for preventing accidents involving drivers, passengers, and other road users. E Light uses iAuditor to record pre-use inspections and the pre-use inspection has some guidelines which need to be checked. The important thing to do is follow the vehicle manufacturers recommendations for pre-use inspections which are found in the operator’s manual. It is important that any employee which operate a company vehicle reads the safety precautions and the pre-use inspection portion of their operators manual prior operating a vehicle. This only needs to be done once and then the operator’s manual needs to be in the vehicle so you can refer to it when needed. This is something that we should get into the habit of doing with our personal vehicles as well. It just helps keep us safer, our families safer and our vehicles in better repair.
While it may seem easier to overlook vehicle inspections, the consequences can be severe. Neglecting these inspections can lead to costly accidents, equipment failure, and even loss of life. One of the most significant benefits to doing a pre-use inspection of your company vehicle is that the process requires you to stop and take a moment before you hop in the vehicle and head out down the road. You need to take a minute to do the inspection, fill out the audit and submit which tends to focus you mind on what you are about to do, operate a dangerous piece of machinery in a very dangerous environment, …. the streets. How can that process alone be anything but better for the company and us?
The pre-use inspection program also helps identify maintenance issues, missing equipment, missing operator’s manuals, training needs and more.
We all have the responsibility to protect each other and to protect the company. We all benefit from our employment with the company, the medical benefits we receive, the training and education and the ability to put food on the table and provide for our families. Each of us needs to do our part to ensure that we all get to home safely every day and that we do what we can to make the company safe, efficient and strong. That benefits each and every one of us. It's important to remember that vehicle and equipment inspections are not just about compliance - they're about keeping employees safe and avoiding accidents.
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