Wheel Chocks: Are You Using Them Correctly?

Wheel Chocks

Wheel chocks with instructions for usage When you have a new crew on board and want to fulfill OSHA rules for road safety, chocks fitted right are perfect.

These devices may be suitable for you since they are often used in utility and telephone fleets.

A wheel chock is essentially a heavy-duty, 90-degree triangular form with grippers on the bottom and hypotenuse (the longest side of the triangle).

The chock is not a true triangle since it has an inward curve on the longest side to fit more tightly to the tyre.

Using Wheel Chocks

Utility fleets should employ wheel chocks to prevent their trucks from rolling downhill due to a vehicle fault or the driver forgetting to set the brake or put the truck in park.

These things should not happen, of course, but they cannot when wheel chocks are used.

OSHA regulations even state that a truck must have a parking brake in place before the chocks are fitted.

The best part is that chocks are generally constructed of rubber and can be linked together with a rope, wire, or chain for simpler insertion and removal.

Some of the heavier chocks are made of recycled rubber, and the material you choose will determine what you get.

Both compounds are resistant to oils, chemicals, and weather, and may be used from either side of the tyre.

The pressure of the tyre pushing against the chock, together with the slope, balances the car and may keep it in place if the brake is forgotten.

Warnings About Wheel Chocks

Warnings accompany each and every chock. The chocks have to be suitable for the vehicle that will be using them in order for them to be employed.

They are available in a wide range of sizes and heights to accommodate a variety of tyre diameters.

You probably do not need the monster version that can support 400 tonnes of weight and must be hauled by a cart, but if you work in the mining or construction business, you will need to have that version.

Other cautions include that they must not be positioned adjacent to the wheels until the parking brakes have been activated and evaluated.

The chocks need to be placed in pairs and in the direction of the gradient so that they sit snugly against the tyre and the road.

When it comes time to go, the last cautions should be adhered to: don’t forget the chocks, and don’t drive over them, since doing so might cause harm to the truck or the chocks themselves.

Shape and Size

Wheel chocks for aviation often take the form of a parking bumper, with one flat side, a little inclination, and another flat surface on the top.

They are available in a variety of widths, including 14 inches, 20 inches, and even up to 56 inches for wider aircraft.

The military version of these spectacles has a rope lock mechanism, and the color safety yellow that they generally come in serves as a visual reference for the user to remove them before flying.

When you place an order for aircraft wheel chocks, you can even have the option of having a customized logo printed on the chocks.

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