When it comes to HGV protection, one of the most important ways to manage the risk of accidents is to closely examine the potential blind spots around your site. Where are they likely to be, how can drivers manage them and what safety products can companies use to reduce the risks.
Thanks to the investment companies make in driver training – and creating logical and safe access points at their premises – accidents involving HGVs are thankfully infrequent. However, when they do happen, they can be catastrophic.
Even within the confines of business premises, HGVs have the capacity to cause serious injury or to kill a pedestrian or driver. They can also create major structural damage, resulting in significant business interruption and cost. Having the contents of a lorry written off – or bodywork repairs to commission – can be the least of your concerns when a vehicle backs into a loading bay pillar or fails to manoeuvre around a height-restricted structure.
This demands that any sites where HGVs operate must regularly assess their risks, including the less obvious ones. What potential is there for blind spots which could hamper even the most advanced HGV driver? Then, you need to install impact safety products that protect HGV drivers, pedestrians and your buildings.
Industry reaction to the perils of blind spots
Of course, this is not an issue solely of concern to companies with large vehicles entering and leaving their premises. There is a growing awareness nationwide that more steps are needed to manage HGV safety on UK roads
This has resulted in some manufacturers and operators fitting vehicles with the latest technologies, including sensor systems with driver alerts, camera monitoring systems, Class V and VI mirrors and audible left-turn warnings, for example.
In London, drivers now need HGV Safety Permits to avoid a ban from the capital’s roads. These permits are only issued if vehicles meet a list of attributes designed to keep both pedestrians and cyclists safe.
The primary source of HGV blind spots is, of course, the visibility restrictions created by their own bodywork. This can leave larger lorries unable to see small cars that are right alongside them, let alone cyclists, people on foot and low-lying structures.
Even technology can’t solve all the problems this creates. The emphasis often needs to be on aids that help commercial vehicles manoeuvre and park smoothly.
Low-cost products that mitigate HGV blind spots
When it comes to HGV protection and keeping your staff safe on your premises, the Brandsafe products that can assist you are inexpensive to buy, and easy to install.
Some of our products are designed to act as shock absorbers, reducing the potential for vehicles to damage structures or their own wheels and bodywork, such as column wraps and bollards.
Others are simple but clever ways to manage HGV blind spots, at the same time as speeding up vehicle maneuvering, which makes delivery and loading swifter.
For example:
HGV Cranked Wheel Dock Guides
This is a contemporary innovation, based on traditional systems to guide HGVs into place on raised level loading docks. Available in two different lengths, our high-vis cranked guides are also a great way to protect vehicle wheel rims from costly damage.
HGV Straight Wheel Dock Guides
These galvanised HGV wheel guides are also available in two sizes. They help drivers reverse or drive forwards on to raised level loading docks more intuitively.
HGV Wheel Stops
A great parking aid for HGVs is our high-vis wheel stops, engineered from recycled truck tyres. Having these installed also helps pedestrians to see where HGVs, buses and other commercial vehicles will be manoeuvring. Our durable moulded wheel stops come with all the fixing items needed to create clear stopping points on your concrete or tarmac.
Illuminating your site’s blind spots
Getting your HGVs into place efficiently is important to keeping productivity up, and accident rates down. Having impact safety products from our range installed will definitely be welcomed by drivers too. They will be able to do their job in a more assured manner.
Get in touch with the team at Brandsafe for more information about HGV protection and related products, impact deterrents and manoeuvring guides, to manage workplace risks on your site.
