Mechanized
Equipment
Protect your workers from
accidents involving their own equipment.
What hazards are created by construction
vehicles and equipment?
Construction vehicles and motorized equipment
present a major hazard to highway construction workers. Recent studies
indicate that workers are killed just as often by vehicles and equipment
operating within the work zone as from motorists that cross the
barricades and strike workers.
Construction vehicles and equipment can
endanger:
-
Drivers and operators.
-
Workers on foot.
-
Motorists/public.
To avoid rollover hazards, DO NOT:
-
Operate equipment too fast or on a steep
grade.
-
Exceed the manufacturers load or operating
limits.
-
Use inadequate methods for loading machinery
onto a transport trailer.
-
Set, park, or operate equipment on soft
spots/soft shoulders.
To avoid striking pedestrian workers with the
vehicle or with its equipment, such as a bucket or shovel, check to
ensure the equipment has:
-
Adequate brakes.
-
Functioning backup alarm.
-
Known blind spots (operators must check
around their
vehicle for workers before engaging).
-
Proper barricades protecting the swing area
of the equipment.
-
Continuous communication with pedestrian
workers.
Common hazards for equipment operators
include striking utilities. Operators must have proper training and
clearance. Construction vehicles and equipment can endanger workers by:
-
Knocking down overhead wires or tree
branches.
-
Making contact with power lines or buried
utilities, causing the equipment to become energized.
-
Operating with an unguarded/non-barricaded
blade, swing radius, and/or scissor points.
How can operators reduce hazards to
themselves?
-
Install and use rollover protective
structures.
-
Install and use seat belts that meet the
Society of
Automotive Engineers requirements.
-
Maintain a safe speed.
-
Use spotters for backing, loading, etc.
-
Use ramps that are the right size and
stable.
-
Use painted guidelines or other markings to
guide operators and indicate hazardous areas.
How can you prevent injuries to workers on
foot?
-
Inspect brakes and other stopping devices to
ensure they are operating properly and able to stop and hold
equipment when fully loaded.
-
Check to ensure backup alarms work.
-
Use mirrors, closed-circuit television,
sensors, and alarms or spotters to look for workers and hazards.
-
Make certain cab glass is not dirty,
cracked, or broken, and does not distort the operator’s view.
-
Have operators check for other workers
before starting the machine.
-
Warn workers when vehicles or equipment with
rotating cabs are in use.
-
Guard scissor points, pinch points, and the
swing radius of equipment when necessary.
This
material was produced under grant number 46C3-HT31 from the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of
Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the
U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names,
commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S.
Government. The developers have not assumed any part of the
employer’s exclusive responsibility to provide a safe and healthful
work place.
