Tag: vehicle

Mud Safety — Part 2

Posted on by admin_ici

Sometimes mud is unavoidable. Whether you’re parked at an unpaved lot at a jobsite or pulling off the pavement to inspect a roadway, bridge or other work, odds are that at some point you’ll have to navigate some mud and muck. Below are pointers for getting a vehicle out of the mud.

Rock It Out

If the vehicle has four-wheel drive, lock it in. Put the vehicle in reverse with wheels straight, and gradually accelerate. If this is not enough to get the vehicle to solid ground, shift into low gear, and slowly power forward as much as you can. If the tires spin, turn them from side to side in an effort to get the edge of the tread to grip the surface. Repeat this back-and-forth process as long as you continue to make progress.

Add Traction

Place dry, solid objects such as floor mats, rocks, limbs or boards beneath the edge of the tire in the direction you want to drive. Reduce the amount of air pressure in the tires. Offroaders.com recommends dropping the pressure to between 15 and 20 pounds per square inch. If the vehicle is resting on the undercarriage, use a jack to lift the tires off the ground — if the jack can sit on a solid surface. Never crawl under the vehicle while it is jacked up. Once you lift it even a few inches, you can slide a solid item beneath the tires to provide lift and traction.

Winch It Out

If you have to drive through mud on a regular basis, it is wise to outfit your vehicle with a winch. You can also use a come-along or a hi-lift jack to pull a vehicle free, provided there is a tree or other solid object close enough to wrap a recovery strap around. Check all of the hooks and eyes attached to your draw cable and use good judgment about the size of the tree or other anchor points you will need. If you are using a winch, place a blanket over the center point of the steel cables. In the event the cable snaps, the weight of the blanket should keep the cable from whipping into the air, possibly injuring you or damaging the vehicle. Loop the winch cable or recovery strap around the solid object, and use the power winch, come-along or jack to slowly pull the vehicle out of the mud. Never stand next to the winch cable or any of the fittings when the winch begins to draw tight.

Pull It Out

If another vehicle is available, the best and quickest way to get a vehicle out the mud is to pull it out. Attach a webbed recovery strap or chain to the tow hitches, frame-mounted tow hooks or the frames of both vehicles, as long as you can get to them without putting tension on less solid parts of the vehicles. Straps are best for pulling, but if you must use chains, inspect them to ensure that they are in good condition. Never attach a strap to a bumper, axles, suspension or the hitch ball as these parts are easily damaged. Put the stuck vehicle in gear. The mobile vehicle should very slowly pull most of the slack from the strap or chain and continue to accelerate gradually. The driver of the stuck vehicle should apply gradual pressure to the gas pedal as the vehicle begins to move. Bystanders should stay two to three car lengths away from the vehicles involved to ensure their safety in the event the strap or chain breaks or one of the vehicles begins to slide.

Roadside Hazard

Posted on by admin_ici

Standing next to the roadside is one of the most hazardous exposures in the construction industry. This is true on highways, county roads and city streets. Drivers run off the roadway for a number of reasons, including: distractions, drunk driving, excessive speed and inexperience. Thousands of crashes take place each year as a result of vehicles hitting mailboxes, trees, telephone poles, other vehicles and, unfortunately, human beings.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported 5,687,000 vehicle crashes in 2013 resulting in 32,719 deaths. This statistic is thought provoking. That would be half the population of Terre Haute, Ind., or the full population of Beech Grove and Brownsburg, Ind. combined.

The NHTSA also reported that 4,735 people were killed standing on or near the roadway in 2013, and another 66,000 were seriously injured. Construction workers should take seriously the possibility that a vehicle may swerve to the side or completely leave the roadway at any time, and do everything in their power to avoid being hit.

Never let your work on or near roadways become so routine that you become complacent about your safety. The motoring public won’t always pay attention to or obey work zone laws. Practicing the following guidelines will help you manage your behavior and help keep you safe when working on or near a roadway:

  1. Never stand between the roadway and a vehicle to carry on a conversation. If a vehicle swerved off the road toward you, you would be sandwiched between the two vehicles with no escape route.
  2. Never turn your back to oncoming traffic. The ability to see an oncoming vehicle gives you the opportunity to move out of the way if necessary.
  3. Do not ignore traffic conditions or the work surroundings while talking on your cell phone. You may fail to notice the potentially dangerous actions of others if you’re distracted.
  4. Wait for large gaps in oncoming traffic before crossing travel lanes. A vehicle traveling 60 miles per hour covers 88 feet in one second. Give yourself enough time to clear the travel lane before the next vehicle approaches, and walk carefully to the other side. Don’t be in such a hurry that you risk losing your footing.

Vehicular traffic is part of our everyday experience in roadway work zones. Do your part to stay safe.

Assured Clear Distance — Avoiding Rear-End Collisions

Posted on by admin_ici

According to the National Safety Council, more than 2.5 million rear-end collisions are reported every year, making them the most common type of automobile accident. The likelihood of a rear-end collision is about 14 times higher than any other workplace accident.

The root cause of most rear-end collisions is insufficient distance between vehicles. The driver fails to keep enough distance between his/her vehicle and the vehicle in front of them. When the first vehicle stops, turns suddenly or simply slows down unexpectedly, the second vehicle does not have sufficient time and space to stop before colliding with it.

We often call these accidents “whiplash accidents” because they can result in whiplash injury to the driver in the front vehicle. About 20 percent of all people involved in rear-end collisions exhibit whiplash symptoms. Spinal and back injuries require long recovery times and can result in permanently impaired physical conditions.

Keep an assured clear distance (unobstructed space between the lead vehicle and the trailing vehicle) to help eliminate rear-end collisions. When following a vehicle, always drive as though a sudden stop will happen and practice the following procedures to help prevent a rear-end collision:

  1. Maintain a safe following distance — at least one vehicle length for each 10 miles-per-hour.
  2. Increase your following distance when:
    • Roads are slippery;
    • Visibility is low;
    • Being tailgated;
    • Following a large vehicle; or
    • Following a vehicle that could stop suddenly, like a bus or a garbage truck.
  3. Be aware of your surroundings.
  4. Be predictable:
    • Slow gradually when coming to a stop;
    • Use your turn signals; and
    • Check your signal lights frequently to make sure they work.

Download the recording form here.

Equipment Spotters

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According to the Federal Highway Administration, equipment accidents on worksites cause more than a hundred deaths each year. The administration’s statistics show that between 2005 and 2010, major causes of worksite deaths involving construction equipment included:

  • Runovers/backovers – often caused by dump trucks – accounted for 24 percent of worker fatalities on construction sites.
  • Vehicle/equipment collisions and caught between/struck by construction equipment and objects each caused 14 percent of worksite deaths during that period.

How can we avoid this type of accident? How can we protect employees? Two words: equipment spotters. Use a spotter when you are backing a vehicle or piece of machinery, or when you are entering and/or moving a vehicle or machinery in a congested area. Use a spotter when visibility is poor and pedestrians or co-workers are in the area. Use a spotter to alert you to equipment obscured from your view.

Take precautions to protect your spotters. OSHA recommends implementing the following actions to keep them safe:

  • Ensure spotters and drivers agree on hand signals before you begin backing a vehicle or piece of machinery.
  • Instruct spotters to maintain visual contact with the driver while the driver is backing the vehicle.
  • Instruct drivers to stop backing immediately if they lose sight of the spotter.
  • Do not give spotters additional duties while they are acting as spotters.
  • Instruct spotters not to use personal mobile phones, headphones or other items that could pose a distraction during spotting activities.
  • Provide spotters with high-visibility clothing, especially during night operations.

Follow these simple guidelines to protect yourself when working in an area with moving vehicles or equipment:

  • Stay alert.
  • Don’t get distracted.
  • Stay a safe distance from machinery.
  • Keep off the equipment unless authorized.
  • Watch for shifting or unstable loads.
  • Wear high-visibility clothing.

Download the recording form here.