June 25, 2023
Preparations were in full swing for the city’s yearly summer festival. As part of the festivities, a large tent structure was rented from a local rental store. The rental store employees worked to get the tent set up amid the hubbub of the festival site. A telehandler was used to get part of the structure into place.
The rental store employees made fast and efficient work of the process and soon were preparing to leave. One employee began to drive the telehandler back to the truck. The bustling fairground required some maneuvering to navigate. The employee attempted a tight turn to get around one vendor’s set up. He thought there was plenty of room. Unfortunately, he miscalculated, and the telehandler impacted the side of a nearby bathroom structure owned by the city. The structure was damaged, but thankfully no one was hurt. The employee quickly set up a barrier to keep anyone from being injured at the site and alerted the proper people, as per his established accident reporting process. A bathroom trailer was brought in to fill the need for the festival.
Drivers of vehicles or equipment should always be aware of their surroundings and use a spotter when backing or when tight spaces are involved. Accidents happen, however. Always ensure your employees are aware of the accident reporting procedures in the event they are needed.
This item, provided by ARA Insurance, Overland Park, Kan., contains safety tips and is intended to help readers better understand and manage risk. For more safety and risk management information, customers of ARA Insurance can log on to ReSource. Access is free, so if you haven’t signed up yet, contact your agent or call 800-821-6580.
