Safety in goods transport

De-icing platform for trucks, trailers and buses

ZARGES de-icing platform for trucks

In winter, slabs of ice may form on the tarpaulin cover and body of trucks that have been left standing outdoor. Such slabs usually becomes dislodged from a truck in the first few kilometres of travel and slides onto the road. This spells great danger, especially for the traffic behind, as such ice slabs can weigh up to a few hundred kilograms. Falling ice slabs have time and again caused serious accidents during winter.

Therefore, legislators have made it the responsibility of truck drivers to remove ice slabs from their vehicles. A fine of 25 euros is imposed for an ice slab falling off a truck, even if it does not affect the traffic behind. The penalties become even stiffer when the ice slab endangers the traffic behind or, worse still, causes an accident. In cases where ice slabs falling off a truck result in a fatal accident, the truck driver in question may even face imprisonment. However, it is not always easy for a driver to free the tarpaulin cover of his or her vehicle from ice slabs before setting off. These slabs are usually located on the truck body – about four metres above the ground – and are therefore hard to reach without performing some sort of dangerous, acrobatic moves on the vehicle.

ZARGES has developed the de-icing platform as an easy and efficient solution to this.

The task

In order to allow truck drivers to remove ice slabs from their vehicle at the logistics depot before setting off, a means of access that fulfils the following requirements should be developed:

Comfortable access to the vehicle's roof
Safe and easy way of ascending
All-found fall protection for safe working
Low risk of slipping by employing appropriate materials
Ability to be moved easily through a lightweight design
Flexible for use with different types of trucks.

The solution

Working together with our customer Haas Logistic, ZARGES has developed an accessible platform from which truck drivers can reach every area on a truck's tarpaulin cover to remove any ice slabs before setting off.

The work platform, made of highly sturdy and weatherproof aluminium, is designed to be placed at a logistic depot.
A wide staircase equipped with a handrail and steps made of steel grating provides users with a safe way to ascend the platform.
The platform is available in lengths from 8 to 15 metres and can be adapted to different lengths if required.
The steel grating allows users to stand securely on the platform even in snow or rain.
The standing height on the platform is around 3.50 metres, allowing users to reach every area on a vehicle and use a broom or scraper to remove ice slabs.
The work platform can be moved to another location without much effort because of its lightweight and easy-to-assemble design.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The work platform is made of standard components in the ZARGES Creaxess range. Both its height and length can be adapted to suit the individual requirements at a location.

The platform is equipped with the appropriate braces to make it very sturdy and stable. You can use the online configurator to customise Creaxess products with a few clicks to suit the requirements at a location.

Interview

Interview with Martin Schillinger, Safety Officer at Haas Logistic GmbH

ZARGES:	How did you come up with the idea of clearing trucks of ice slabs and snow from a platform?
Martin Schillinger:	Every haulier faces this problem in winter: a truck driver clambering on top of his or her truck in an attempt to somehow free the tarpaulin cover of ice. And because safety is extremely important to us, we tried to find a safe and permanent solution to this problem.
ZARGES:	How did the collaboration with ZARGES happen?
Martin Schillinger:	We have been ZARGES' logistics service provider for a few years now, and it was therefore natural for us to work together with the team from ZARGES to come up with a solution to the problem.
ZARGES:	Does the work platform work well and was it well received by the driver?
Martin Schillinger:	We placed the platform at a central location on our premises during the relevant time of the year and instructed our drivers to check their truck for ice slabs and remove any slabs present before setting off. The drivers are also glad that they have an easy, uncomplicated and, most of all, safe way to prepare their vehicle in accordance with traffic regulations. After the first winter, we can no longer imagine not having the work platform.
ZARGES:	What happens to the platform when it is not winter?
Martin Schillinger:	Thanks to its sturdiness and lightweight design, it is not a problem to move the platform elsewhere. In summer, it is moved to a place that is slightly out of the way, but we are also able to use it to perform small repairs or inspections on the trailers of our vehicles. Haas Logistic GmbH What started as a log transport business by the Haas family in 1919 and later expanded to include long-distance transport services, became a modern logistics company with a long history and experience with the foundation of Haas Logistic GmbH in 2000. Its headquarters in the Swabian town of Dunningen house 12,500 sqm of space for storage and transhipment, and many transport vehicles. Including the employees at the branch office in Hagen in North Rhine-Westphalia, the company has a workforce of 60 people. Its services include individual transport assignments, simple goods storage, complete supply chain solutions, and contract warehousing (outsourcing) with just-in-time delivery. Haas Logistic also works closely with its customers to analyse difficult process operations, and identify and close any gaps in the delivery process – while always adhering to the motto: The constant development in our doings holds solutions we are happy to share.