Safe Tarping Systems for Wood Chip Trucks

Falls from semi-trailers whose heights exceed three meters result in major and sometimes even fatal injuries. To protect workers against falls during tarping operations, carriers use tarping systems. These systems have shortcomings that result in the users not using them (i.e., they are homemade or have been developed by trial and error without engineering support and without precise design criteria). Four of the most common tarping systems used by wood chip carriers in Quebec were evaluated. All are operated from the ground. The main factors that prevent their use and generalization on wood chip trucks in Quebec include the difficulty in installing them and their unadaptability to the northern climate. This study selected two tarping systems and identified the criteria required for a better design of future tarping systems that take into account both the worker's task and the constraints of the Quebec climate.