Dump Bed Safety

Dump bed accidents often produce fatalities.

About three people are killed in the United States each year by crushing under a dump truck bed, with 31 deaths over a 10-year period, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Although such accidents are rare, they are almost always fatal to the worker involved, making safety measures crucial.

Recommendations

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration publishes safety standards for heavy equipment such as dump truck beds. Section 29 CFR 1926.600(a)(3)(i) of this code states that dump beds should never be serviced without proper blocking in place. When not in use, fully lowering the dump bed is required.

Tools

Steel props are specially designed to hold the dump bed in place and provide protection against crushing injuries. Props that are completely attached and not adjustable are safer than those with several settings. However, even non-adjustable steel props can fail, especially when the hydraulics of the dump truck release suddenly.

Considerations

In some cases, servicing requires dump truck beds to be raised higher than the prop allows. Custom-designed non-adjustable supports are recommended by OSHA. In addition, having several safety systems in place, such as chains and crane support, gives extra protection in case of dump bed failure. The bed should never be repaired or serviced when loaded.

References

• Occupational Health and Safety Administration: Hazards of Unintended Movement of Dump Truck Body Beds
• Dump-Lok: Product Specifications