Accidents and loss prevention in your greenhouse

{Sponsored} Preventing accidents prevents the associated loss. That common knowledge is imperative to business success. This means that operators of large machinery, such as forklifts and tractors, must be conscientious and aware of safety at every moment that the vehicles are powered on.

On-property accidents can fall into a few categories:

1. Heavy equipment accidents: untrained or improperly training equipment operators can cause serious accidents and injuries.       This could lead to damaged plants, materials and racks. Your roll-ups or greenhouse posts and walls or other property may be damaged. Worst case? Someone could be seriously injured or killed. Proper training helps prevent accidents and injuries from occurring keeping workers, customers and your facility safe.
2. Personal injury from heavy equipment misuse: while you may think forklifts and tractors can be used for lifting personnel, doing so can cause serious injury or liability issues. Many serious accidents and fatalities occur when a worker is improperly raised while standing on the forks or in the equipment bucket and falls to the ground below. Manufacturer approved forklift safety cages are the only safe way to raise personnel.
3. Accidents with pallet jacks or similar equipment: can cause strains/sprains, run over a workers foot or can cause the worker to trip and be run over by the equipment. Pallet jacks and their loads can be extremely heavy and cause significant damage by an untrained worker.

Here’s how you can help prevent those accidents and what to do when they happen.

1. Operators must not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol while using large equipment.
2. Training and certification must be completed prior to operating forklifts,tractors and equipment. Operators must thoroughly understand hazards, safe operating procedures and read operating manuals in totality.
3. Clothing should not be baggy or loose as these types of articles of clothing can be caught in rotating parts of the machine. If caught, it is almost impossible to avoid injury.
4. Rider limitations must be strictly enforced at all times.
5. All workers who are not directly involved in the task being completed with the tractor or forklift should clear the area.
6. Smoking is prohibited while operating equipment and near refueling stations.
7. If traveling on public roads, all rules and regulations of the road must be followed at all times.
8. Always shut down the machine prior to completing maintenance.
9. Excessive speed should be avoided. Speed needs to be appropriate for the work being performed, the terrain, the environment, and the equipment being used.
10. All operators must understand where pinch points and crush points are on the tractor or forklift. All crush and pinch points and all other hazards the equipment possesses must be clearly labeled, and the labels must be cleaned on a regular basis so that they are visible.

In the event of an accident, contact the appropriate emergency numbers. These numbers should be listed on a laminated sheet near the phone and should be bilingual in English and Spanish if there are Spanish-speaking workers on the premises. After tending to the immediate emergency, contact your Hortica agent to begin the claims process.

Greenhouse owners should contact their Hortica® agent to discuss coverage for their facility or on the road. This may mean a combination of business insurance or general liability plus business auto. The insurance world is complicated, but with Hortica, you don’t have to sort through it alone. Your agent is here to help.

 

Hortica® property and casualty coverages are underwritten, and loss control services are provided, by Florists’ Mutual Insurance Company, Florists’ Insurance Company, and Florists’ Insurance Service, Inc., Edwardsville, IL, members of the Sentry Insurance Group. For more information, visit hortica.com. Policies, coverages, benefits and discounts are not available in all states. See policy for complete coverage details.

This document is of a general nature and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. No one should act on the information contained in this document without advice from a local professional with relevant expertise.

© 2018 Hortica

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