The Operation of Heavy Equipment in the Presence of Personnel On the Ground

Peter  Campbell

 

Site Plant Include but Are Not Limited To:
Front-end loaders; Rubber-tired and tracked
Bulldozers, skid steer bobcats
Dumpers
Digger loaders and tracked hydraulic excavators
Haulage vehicles
Asphalt Pavers and associated support equipment - pavement rollers
Vibratory rollers and compactors
Concrete mixers and pump trucks
People Working Nearby
DIRECT PARTICIPANTS: (Need to be on site on regular basis)
Signallers, Observers, Clerk of Works,.
Equipment Operators,.
Labourers,  Steelfixers and Carpenters. 
Foremen, Supervisors, and other related contracting staff.
Surveyors,.
Plant Mechanics.
Any Other Crafts and/or Trades working 
	on the Project, or Passing 
	through the work areas.

Who else can be on site?
Delivery Trucks, Concrete Mixers, Skip hire Drivers..
•	Service Providers, (of any kind) - Unescorted on the site.
•	Contracted Services; Crane hire, Concrete Saw Cutting, etc.
•	Architects and Engineers, Inspectors, Client’s Staff/Owner’s Reps./Guests/VIPs.
•	Engineering Service Providers: Concrete Testing, Compaction Testing, Air Monitoring, etc.
•	Government(e.g.HSE) and Local Authority Officials (e.g.Building Control).
•	Sales Personnel or Product Installation Specialist(s).
•	Other Utility Service Providers & Locators: Phone, Gas. Electric, Water, Sewer, Cable, etc.
Who else can be there?
NON-PARTICIPANTS, NO DIRECT NEED TO BE ON SITE:
Pedestrians, Spectators, On-lookers and the Just Plain Curious!
Children (of all ages).
Job Seekers, (all types).
Joggers, Bicycle Riders, Skate Boarders, All Terrain Vehicles.
Environmentalists and protesters.
Scavengers, vandals, thieves, and Law Breakers.

The Media: (Depending on circumstances).
CONCERNS FOR SAFETY
PROBLEM:
•	You have a congested construction site with personnel on foot,  and mobile machines working in the same area, at the same time!
Today’s Situation
•	Being struck by vehicles, or caught in- between, are two of the  leading cause of injuries and fatalities on construction sites!  

•	Struck by vehicle
•	2001/2003 - 11 FATALITIES(13.75%)
•	2002/2003 - 5 FATALITIES(7.00%)

Vision Statement
Goal and Objective
•	Prevent workplace accidents!
•	Prevent personal injuries between moving equipment and those workers who are on foot.
•	You must see and be seen!!!
How Did We Get Here?
•	A nation-wide, past history of persons being struck or crushed by operating or moving equipment.

•	The impression that the equipment operator always knows where the ground personnel are located.
Available Solutions
•	Management Commitment 
•	Employee Involvement
•	Pre-construction Work-Site Analysis
•	Hazard Prevention and Controls
•	Equipment Maintenance
•	Employee Awareness Training
•	Periodically Review Procedures
Management Commitment
•	Restrict entry onto site of non-essential personnel.
•	Establish Controlled Entry Points to site.
•	Coordinate Operations of Various Trades Working in the Same Areas.
•	Provide Fundamental Site Rules and Training to all Persons at Risk.
•	Adequate Lay-Down Areas Established.

Planned use of vehicles
Operating area
Ensure:

•		ground is clear and stable
•	  good lighting
•		ground bearing capacity is 	safe for 		vehicles and plant, etc.
•		locations identified for:
a)	overhead power lines
b)	buried cables
c)	other services
		
Planned use of vehicles
Routes:
•	avoid or prevent congestion
•	use one-way system/avoid reversing
•	remove hazards
•	consider tipping areas
Access points:
•	use barriers for segregation
•	warning signs
Speed limits
•	Appropriate to the site
Employee Involvement
•	All employees who are at risk must receive basic induction.
•	Absolute need to address problem with employees on a regular basis. (Toolbox Talks and Safety Meetings).
•	Employees must learn, follow, and obey established rules.
•	Realize that they must see,and be seen.
Pre-Construction Work- Site Analysis
•	Identify Potential Known Hazards.
•	Job Conditions: Roads, Access Points.
•	Lay down/Storage Areas.
•	Office, Tool, Storage and Change Trailers.
•	Methods of Construction, (increases Risk?)
•	Also Consider: Unwanted side effects of the Job Schedule.
HAZARD PREVENTION and CONTROLS
•	Perimeter Fencing, Enclosures, signs.
•	Spotters Provided for in-the-blind, backing machines and/or equipment.
•	Poor Planning Forces Workers to Commit Unsafe Acts! (location of toilets, huts, parking areas).
•	Be Alert; Stay Clear; Hear Warnings.
•	Temporary Barricades/stop blocks at Hazards.
PROPER EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE
•	Machine in Proper Working Order.
•	Back-up Alarm, Horn, Lights, Mirrors.
•	Cab Glass not Cracked or Broken.
•	Machine Windows, Mirrors, kept Clean.
•	Pre-Operational Inspection conducted by Operator.
•	Prompt Repair of Any Noted Deficiencies!
EMPLOYEE AWARENESS TRAINING
•	Does Your Job Require You To Approach Moving or Backing Machines?
•	How does the Operator Know Where You Are? 
•	Do You Understand all Signs, Markers and Flags?  KNOW WHAT THEY MEAN!
•	You Must Always Be Alert to Changing Job Conditions and Your Particular Situation.
EQUIPMENT OPERATOR RESPONSIBILITIES
•	GENERAL GUIDELINES:
•	Safety Features On Equipment, Know How They Operate, and Use Them Properly.
•	Systematic Maintenance and Repair.
•	Trained and competent Operators.
•	Trained Plant Mechanics/fitters.
•	Pre-Operational Inspection of Equipment.
•	Review Manufacturer’s Operating Manual.
EQUIPMENT OPERATOR RESPONSIBILITIES
The Most Dangerous Movement is Backing!
•	Know Where your Blind Spots Are.
•	Use mirrors/cameras/banksman to eliminate blind spots
•	Look For People on Foot Around You.
•	Maintain a Safe Operating Speed.
•	When Signaled; When Waived at Violently; Or If You Are In Doubt…. STOP! 

EQUIPMENT OPERATOR RESPONSIBILITIES 
•	Keep Machine Under Control at all Times.
•	Take Machine “Out of Service” if it is Unsafe to Operate.
•	Make Sure You Are Familiar with the Operating Characteristics of your Machine.
•	Be On The Look-Out For Other Trades Working in the Same Area.
Where there’s a will
EQUIPMENT OPERATOR RESPONSIBILITIES
•	Be Aware of Other Machines Operating In the Area. Frequently check for the Location of other Machines. Keep Lights and Backup Alarm in Operating Condition.
•	Allow NO ONE to Ride Outside the Cab for Any Reason!
•	Clean Windows and Adjust Mirrors.
EQUIPMENT OPERATOR
RESPONSIBILIES
•	Always inform Appropriate Personnel of any Abnormal Conditions, Defects, or Changes made in Machine and/or Job Procedure or Conditions.
•	Report Unsafe Workers to Supervision.
•	Talk-up Safety with Those Who Work with You. Maintain:						“Constant Awareness”.
EQUIPMENT OPERATOR RESPONSIBILITIES
•	Do Not Attempt Repairs or Maintenance that You Do Not Understand.
•	Always Check the Mirror on the Blind Side, making Sure of Your Clearance. (Backing on the Blind Side should be Avoided if at all Possible).
•	Leave the machine safe at the end of the day.
•	Learn and Follow Safe Work Practices!

MANUFACTURER’S RECOMENDATIONS
•	CATERPILLAR STATES:
•	Clear all Personnel from the Machine and the Area.
•	The Operator Must be Satisfied that No One will be Endangered Before Moving the Machine.
•	Look Behind Machine Before Backing.
MANUFACTURER’S RECOMENDATIONS
•	Have a Signalman Present when Moving In or Out  of a Building (or structure).
•	Stop Machine Frequently at Night, Walk Around and Inspect Machine, Stay Alert.
•	Clear All Obstacles from the Path of the Machine, Beware of Hazards such as Wires, Ditches, etc..
OBSERVATIONS
•	Small Machines have small blind spots, where large machines have large blind spots, both can cause serious injury or death!
•	The taller and wider the machine, the bigger the blind spot area.
•	All Involved must give Constant Attention to what they are Doing!
THE DANGER OF BEING STRUCK-BY
•	ITEMS TO CONSIDER:
•	Revolving Machines; Cranes & Backhoes.
•	Struck By Attachments of Machines.
•	Drawbar Related Accidents, Hooking and Unhooking.
•	Articulated Machines - Pinch Points.
•	Attaching Home Made Devices to a Machine, Not Approved by Mfg,(Hooks).
STANDING ON THE OPERATOR’S BLIND SIDE
THE DANGER OF BEING STRUCK-BY 
•	Stored Lunch Boxes and materials on Equipment.
•	Hand Tools Placed or Stored on Mobile Equipment Platforms or Decks.
•	Environmental Design of the Machine; Noise Suppression-Vs-Hearing Protection. 
IN DEFENSE OF THE EQUIPMENT OPERATOR
•	Where Do All these People Come From?
•	Machine Design; Little Thought given to Persons on Foot in the Working Area.
•	Faster and Bigger Machines; Not as Forgiving as Older, Slower, Machines. 
•	Can’t See Everything that Goes on Around the Machine.
•	Do Persons on Foot Realize the Danger?
IN DEFENSE OF THE EQUIPMENT OPERATOR
•	The Operation of the Machine Requires  Constant Attention.
•	Who is Responsible for Whom?
•	What about when I have to Work in Close Proximity to Persons on Foot.
•	Persons or Vehicles that Approach the Equipment in My Blind Spots.
•	Do People on Foot Look Out for Us?

Digger/Loader
Digger/Loaders
Summary
•	Identify the hazards/risks
•	Plan your controls
•	Consider the human factor
•	Consider the equipment
•	Changing circumstances?
•	Remind and review
Questions??