An owner-operator of a Prince George transport company saw the need to change vehicle loading techniques in order to eliminate the possibility of workplace injuries.

Elite Transport’s Dean Jardine was shocked to learn that a majority of workplace injuries occur when drivers secure tarps on their bulk sawdust and woodshops.

Since the Ministry of Transportation regulations specify the need to secure bulk loads with a tarp, Jardine had to find an alternative method to the process.

A 2016 survey by the Bulk Haulers Injury Elimination Task Force (BHIET) found that 60% of all injuries for bulk haulers happen when tarping the load.

Since the risk of falling while climbing the trucks and securing the tarp was too high, Jardine had to develop a method that allowed his workers to secure the tarps without having to leave the ground.

Jardine and his team began developing prototypes two years ago and eventually came up with a model that allows drivers to flip a switch on the side of their trucks to start the tarping process.

Photo credit: Work Safe BC

The team also designed a lightweight mesh tarp that automatically folds over the load from either side of the truck.

So far the tarps have been highly effective and there have been no tarp-related injuries. The contraption has been installed on seven out of his 29 vehicles and says it can be added to any truck for approximately $7,000.

“The key is going to be engineering the problem out, and from what I can see, Elite is well on the way to doing that,” Brad Evans, former director of safety for Excel Transportation.

“I want this not only for us,” Jardine says. “I want my drivers safe and I want my competitors’ drivers safe.”