Business Liability Off-Site Safety Measures: How to Reduce Your Risk

Most savvy business owners follow on-site safety precautions and procedures for the work place. Yet once you or an employee leave the premises to conduct business offsite, the liability risk doesn’t end there. In fact, sometimes it’s worse.

According to a 2005 Bureau of Labor Statistics study, 43% of all fatal work injuries result from transportation incidents. Other occupational fatalities result from contact with objects or equipment (18%), falls (13%), exposure to harmful substances (9%), contact with electricity (4%), and fires and explosions (3%).

“It’s critical that business owners train their employees in proper business liability offsite safety measures, “ says Mark Vanderly, Commercial Sales Agent for Nationwide Insurance. “Most business liability claims resulting from offsite incidents can be avoided with some simple, common sense measures.”

This business liability safety checklist 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
• Drivers should be licensed with no major traffic citations on their records
• Make sure vehicles and drivers have appropriate levels of liability insurance
• Maintain vehicles in good, safe condition
• Establish a safe driver program

Material handling safety

• Make sure employees understand proper loading and unloading techniques
• Ensure that loads are secured inside and outside the vehicle
• Vehicles should not be overloaded; this prevents accidents and reduces vehicle wear
• When loading/unloading equipment or materials, be certain the area is barricaded to prevent injuries to passers-by in case a load would fall
• Materials should be kept neatly stacked and kept out of the way of others

Hazardous substances safety

• Train workers in the safe handling, disposal and clean-up of chemicals, including paints, sealants, and adhesives
• Make sure there’s adequate ventilation when using chemicals or flammable materials
• Non-employees should be warned about hazardous materials and asked to leave the area
• Have a fire extinguisher close by if welding or using 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
• Tools and equipment should be secured and protected during transit
• Keep electrical tools in good working order with GFI grounded plugs and non-frayed cords
• Ladders should be 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
• Employees should use proper safety protection such as goggles, gloves and shields when welding or using a blowtorch
• Make sure employees carry a fully charged pager or mobile phone off-site
• First aid kits should be standard equipment on company-owned vehicles