Most savvy business owners follow on-site safety precautions and procedures for the workplace. Yet once you or an employee leaves the premises to conduct business off-site, the liability risk doesn’t end there.
Do you have the right business liability off-site safety measures in place to stay protected?
The following checklist of business liability safety measures can help you to identify and prevent some of the more common off-site risks waiting to happen.
Transportation safety
- Obey speed limits and other traffic laws
- Hire licensed drivers with no major traffic citations on their records
- Ensure vehicles and drivers have appropriate levels of liability insurance
- Maintain vehicles in good, safe condition
- Establish a safe driver program
Material handling safety
- Educate employees on proper loading and unloading techniques
- Ensure that loads are secured inside and outside the vehicle
- Prevent vehicles from being overloaded; this prevents accidents and reduces vehicle wear
- Avoid injuries when loading/unloading equipment or materials by barricading the area in case a load would fall
- Keep materials neatly stacked and kept out of the way of others
Hazardous substances safety
- Train workers in the safe handling, disposal and cleanup of chemicals, including paints, sealants and adhesives
- Ensure adequate ventilation when using chemicals or flammable materials
- Warn all non-employees about hazardous materials and ask to leave the area
- Have a fire extinguisher close to welding equipment and flammable materials.
Tool and equipment safety
- Make sure all equipment is kept in a lockbox at work sites when not in use
- Ensure that all equipment is kept out of walkways
- Secure and protect all tools and equipment during transit
- Keep electrical tools in good working order with GFI-grounded plugs and non-frayed cords
- Ensure all ladders are sturdy and level, with sidewalls that extend 36 inches above the top of the landing
Employee safety
- Ensure that employees wear the appropriate personal protection equipment, such as hard hats, heavy boots or coveralls as necessary
- Train employees in correct lifting techniques to avoid back injuries and dropping of loads
- Require employees use proper safety protection such as goggles, gloves and shields when welding or using a blowtorch
- Insist employees carry a fully charged pager or mobile phone off-site
- Equip all company-owned vehicles with first aid kits
