Taking Garbage Seriously

Dump trailers are a great way to quickly transport materials or waste from one end of a worksite to another, or from one worksite to a separate one. Being able to dump the cargo will allow your workers to get the trailer back to its original position and loaded up again, making your entire operation more productive and efficient. However, you don't want to get so focused on speed that you make a mistake that results in your trailer tipping over or being involved in an accident of some kind. To that end, here are some safety tips to keep in mind when using 7x16 dump trailers or any other dump trailer of your choice.

Make Sure All Wheels or Tires Are Properly Aligned and Inflated at the Start of Every Workday and After Any Especially Heavy Loads

Dump trailers are rated for a specific amount of weight. You likely already know it's never a good idea to overload a trailer, but you should also remember that the tires or wheels you are using to transport the trailer are expected to be properly aligned and inflated in order to be able to handle whatever the weight cap is. If you fill the trailer to capacity but the tires are not capable of handling the load, you are going to end up with a dangerous situation on your hands. Keep an eye on your wheel alignment and make sure tires are properly inflated on a regular basis.

Be Aware of the Incline or Slope at All Times Before Attempting to Dump a Trailer's Contents

All dump trailer drivers should be aware of any slope or incline in the location where the trailer needs to be dumped. Don't ever push your drivers to risk a dump in a location that has too much slope, even if that's where the client said they wanted it to go. Proceed with caution and alter arrangements, like dumping the materials in a different location and moving them to the final spot manually or by hand, if you have no other choice.

If Something Goes Wrong When Dumping Begins, Stop Moving the Trailer, Clear the Area, and Reduce the Load

If a dump trailer driver starts dumping the goods and the trailer goes up into the air and you notice that the entire thing or the vehicle that's pulling the trailer is in danger of tipping, stop all movement immediately. Clear the area and try to reduce the load by using a lift, ladder, or other equipment. Only when the load is reduced should you then attempt to continue moving the trailer up or down or in any other direction.