A host of serious incidents can happen when landscape trucks and trailers are improperly parked in or near roadways, the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) says. In light of a recent wrongful death judgement against BrightView, LM reached out to the association for safety tips. Here is some guidance offered by the NALP, which noted it knows nothing about the specifics of the lawsuit.
Improperly parking puts motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and landscape crew members at risk for injury, says Olivia Grider, NALP’s safety research writer and a member of the NALP Safety & Risk Management Committee. Landscape trucks and trailers should not be parked in active traffic lanes. When possible, trucks and trailers should be parked in driveways, parking lots or other areas away from roadways and traffic. Crew members should only park alongside roadways in areas where it is legal to do so and there is no alternative.
Operators should make certain no parts of the vehicle, trailer or trailer ramps extend into a traffic lane. Trailer ramps should be folded up or removed when equipment is not being unloaded/loaded. If you don’t or can’t remove or fold them in, place orange cones around the ramps to alert drivers, Grider says.
The NALP Safe Company Program manual also recommends the following:
- Use cones, barricades and other warning devices when working in or near traffic areas.
- Do not park vehicles or equipment where they are likely to get hit.
- If mechanical trouble develops and you must stop on the side of the road, use your emergency flashers and immediately put out flares or other warning devices in accordance with regulations.
Finally, Grider says: “After parking legally alongside a roadway, crew members should exit the vehicle from the curb side and avoid, if possible, going to the street side to retrieve tools, materials, etc., from the truck or trailer.”
