Improve truck yard safety by addressing these 10 hazards

How employers and workers can prevent serious vehicle and pedestrian incidents.

Truck yards are busy places. There are often workers walking through the yard, commercial vehicles backing into bays, and other equipment being put to use.

It’s easy for things to go wrong in this kind of fast-paced, high-hazard environment. Industry insiders and health and safety experts have identified 10 key factors that contribute to truck yard incidents. Understanding these root causes can help employers, supervisors, drivers, and yard workers spot hazards early and take action to keep everyone safe.

Poor lighting

The problem: Insufficient visibility due to a lack of appropriate lights—or lights that simply don’t work—is a common yard-safety concern. Lighting changes between indoor and outdoor areas can also affect visibility, such as when a driver backs a truck into a garage. Likewise, inconsistent or poorly located lighting across different parts of the yard can further increase risk.

The fix: Communicate visibility concerns to the workplace’s health and safety representative or joint health and safety committee (JHSC). They can review the lighting conditions and determine controls to improve visibility. Employers and supervisors should also ensure lights are positioned correctly and directed where drivers and workers need them most.

Lack of training

The problem: Truck yards are high-risk environments. Workers need training to recognize yard hazards and manage them safely. Unfortunately, employers don’t always prioritize this type of workplace-specific training. Complacency is also a concern: workers and drivers may feel their experience is enough and may not see the value in formal training. This can lead to inconsistent safety practices.

The fix: Make regular training a requirement. Employers should ensure drivers have easy access to appropriate training, and drivers should feel comfortable asking for training when they need it. Under both the Canada Labour Code and Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), workers have the right to know about workplace hazards, participate in safety discussions, and refuse unsafe work.

Non-classification as a skilled trade

The problem: A lack of provincial or national standards for the commercial transportation industry has an influence on how drivers develop their skills. Some drivers simply learn how to operate their vehicle through trial and error, while training programs that do exist can vary in quality.

The fix: One way to improve this situation is for legislators and industry stakeholders to recognize commercial driving as a skilled trade. Employers can ensure the drivers they hire are properly licensed and have been trained by an accredited instructor or graduated from an accredited institution. Continuous learning—by taking specialized training courses—also helps drivers maintain professional standards over time.

Relaxed attitude toward safety

The problem: Workplace attitudes strongly influence how safety rules are followed. Workers who don’t fully understand truck yard hazards—or who treat health and safety measures as optional—can make incidents more likely. Inconsistent communication and unclear rules can also contribute to unsafe behaviours.

The fix: Employers, supervisors, and workers all play a role in reinforcing a company’s safety culture and practices in the yard. Management should explain the real consequences of unsafe behaviours and consistently enforce policies and procedures. Ensuring competent supervision also goes a long way toward helping workers make safer decisions on the job.

Distractions

The problem: An individual’s ability to focus is critical anywhere that vehicles and pedestrians are close together. Stress and other psychological concerns, electronic devices, and multitasking can reduce attention and increase the risk of an incident. Even a brief lapse in concentration can cause a driver to not notice someone in their path, and vice-versa.

The fix: Provide training that highlights the risks of distracted driving, including the ways in which mental health affects concentration—and offer supports to workers experiencing mental health challenges, if necessary. Enact clear policies restricting cell phone use for drivers and workers in the yard.

Yard vehicle maintenance

The problem: In some cases, maintenance standards for yard vehicles may be unclear or lower than those for highway vehicles. This may lead some workers to believe maintenance is less important because the vehicles are not used on public roads, which in turn increases the risk of incidents.

The fix: Set out policies to ensure that all on-site equipment meets industry safety standards. Inspect vehicles and equipment regularly. Ensure all drivers and contractors understand and follow equipment safety and maintenance requirements.

Impairment

The problem: Workers must be fit for duty at all times. Several factors, including fatigue, substance use, medication, or even physical injury, can affect a person’s ability to perform their job safely. They may not notice a hazard, for example, or they may be slow to react to an unsafe condition.

The fix: Employers, supervisors, and workers share responsibility for ensuring fitness for duty. At workplaces where open communication is encouraged, drivers will feel more comfortable raising concerns or asking for help. Institute a fitness-for-duty policy to help assess a driver’s ability to work safely—and make programs available to help workers manage work-life balance.

Health concerns

The problem: Poor physical health can also affect a person’s reaction time and focus in the yard. Drivers may also feel anxious or rush tasks because of time pressures from dispatch, which can create additional safety hazards.

The fix: Give workers time to attend to medical needs—whether that’s attending a doctor’s appointment or simply stretching to prevent musculoskeletal injury. Taking breaks and eating nutritious food may also improve health at work and at home. Benefits and employee assistance programs—and lifestyle-support resources—can help proactively address health concerns.

People in the yard

The problem: Pedestrians in truck yards are at high risk of being struck, especially when visibility is poor. Congestion, parked vehicles, and otherwise limited space can also make it harder for drivers to see people moving through the yard.

The fix: Everyone in the yard must wear high-visibility clothing. Where possible, restrict access to the yard and install physical barriers to protect pedestrians. Train yard workers to be vigilant and to follow all safety rules (which should be clearly set out in policies and procedures). Keeping yards organized, well lit, and properly maintained also helps reduce the likelihood of pedestrian struck-by incidents.

Loading and securing loads

The problem: Loading and securement activities can expose workers to several hazards, including working at heights—such as when workers are securing bundles of lumber—and being struck by materials being loaded or unloaded (or that are improperly secured). Snow removal from trailers is also a common hazard.

The fix: Provide designated areas where loading and load securement can be done under controlled conditions. Yard workers and drivers who have cargo-securement responsibilities should receive specific training on the processes and equipment needed to perform those duties safely. Assigning designated personnel to monitor yard activity can also improve safety when loading and unloading occurs.

Strengthen your yard safety with these practical tips

Addressing the main hazards in truck yards is just the beginning. A truly safe yard depends on its layout, daily operations, proper training, open communication, and overall safety culture.

Create a smart yard layout: Separate vehicle and pedestrian areas, control traffic flow, and provide designated spaces for loading and parking.

Reduce blind spots: Big trucks have big blind spots— and they’re a big safety concern. Installing tools and technology such as yard mirrors as well as rear-mounted cameras and backup alarms on trucks can help drivers be more aware of their surroundings.

Set clear safety rules: Beyond policies for training, fitness for duty, maintenance, and device use, it’s useful to document, communicate, and enforce rules on personal protective equipment (such as high-visibility clothing), loading dock safety, speed limits, and general yard practices.

Report near misses: Encourage workers to report near-miss incidents at the yard. Investigating such occurrences can help to identify gaps in a workplace health and safety program and drive continuous improvement.

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