Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/314292
WORLD FENCE NEWS • JUNE 2014 • 59 244 W. State Route 4, Cathlamet, WA 98612 (360) 795-3617 Six Models to Choose From Options: • Loader • Forklift • Concrete Breaker • Post Tamper • Post Puller • Concrete Mixer and Dispenser • Installink Chainlink Dispenser • Auto Post Driver (one-person operation) Seeing is believing - Call today for FREE video or to schedule a demonstration! "The ultimate in boring and fencing equipment." 2-25 TLD-125 25-30 XT A backover incident occurs when a backing vehicle strikes a worker who is standing, walking, or kneeling be- hind the vehicle. These incidents can be prevented. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 70 workers died from backover incidents in 2011. These kinds of incidents can occur in different ways. For example: • On June 18, 2009, an employee was working inside a work zone wear- ing his reflective safety vest. A dump truck operating in the work zone backed up and struck the employee with the rear passenger side wheels. The employee was killed. The dump truck had an audible back up alarm and operating lights conforming to OSHA requirements. • On June 9, 2010, an employee was standing on the ground in front of a loading dock facing into the building while a tractor trailer was backing into the same dock. The trailer crushed the employee between the dock. The purpose of this information is to provide information about the haz- ards of backovers and to suggest solu- tions that can reduce the risk or frequency of these incidents. How do backover incidents occur? Backover accidents can happen for a variety of reasons. Drivers may not be able to see a worker in their blind spot. Workers may not hear backup alarms because of other work- site noises or because the alarms are not functioning. A spotter assisting one truck may not see another truck behind him. Workers riding on vehicles may fall off and get backed over. Drivers may assume that the area is clear and not look in the direction of travel. Sometimes, it is unclear why a worker was in the path of a backing vehicle. A combination of factors can also lead to backover incidents. What can be done to prevent backover incidents? Many solutions exist to prevent backover incidents. Drivers can use a spotter to help them back up their ve- hicles. Video cameras with in-vehicle display monitors can give drivers a view of what is behind them. Proximity detection devices, such as radar and sonar, can alert drivers to objects that are behind them. Tag- based systems can inform drivers when other employees are behind the vehicle and can alert employees when they walk near a vehicle equipped to communicate with the tag worn by the Getting run over on the job could ruin your day OSHA suggests ways to avoid backover accidents employee. On some work sites, employers can create internal traffic control plans which tell the drivers where to drive and can reduce the need to back up. In some cases, internal traffic con- trol plans can also be used to separate employees on foot from operating equipment. Training is another tool to prevent backover incidents. Blind spots behind and around vehicles are not immedi- ately obvious to employees on foot. By training employees on where those blind spots are and how to avoid being in them, employers can prevent some backover incidents. One component of this training can include putting employees who will be working around vehicles in the driver's seat to get a feel for where the blind spots are and what, exactly, the drivers can see. More information on this and other safety topics may be found at www.osha.gov.