Construction equipment and vehicles have blind spots that reduce or eliminate visibility for the operator or driver. If you’re working around this kind of machinery, make sure you’re careful to avoid blind spots.
Basic Safety Rules
- If you can’t see the operator or driver (directly or through mirrors), they can’t see you.
- Don’t cross directly in front of or immediately behind equipment or trucks without communicating (verbally or visually) with the operator or driver.
- Coordinate with the operator or driver before approaching or performing any work on or near the equipment.
- Pay close attention to a piece of heavy equipment that’s moving with a raised bucket.
- Watch for sudden movements or changes in direction. This includes the booms of excavators and cranes.
- Develop an internal traffic control plan with strategies to control the flow of workers, vehicles and equipment inside the work zone.
- Reduce hazards for equipment operators:
- Limit access points to work zones.
- Establish pedestrian-free areas.
- Develop work zone layouts to accommodate specific types of equipment.
Blind Spot Safe Work Practices
- Perform a 360° walk around the equipment or vehicle before you begin a work activity or move the vehicle.
- Take the necessary precautions to prevent entry into an equipment’s swing radius (e.g., erect barricades, warning lines or other industry recognized procedures).
- Use a spotter when movement would create a struck-by hazard or when there’s a lot of worker activity in the work zone.
- Stop the machinery if someone needs to approach.
- Set parking brakes when vehicles and equipment are parked. Chock the wheels if they are on an incline.
