Vehicle back-over injuries and death are a common occurrence in a number of industries that use heavy equipment and/or trucks. A back-over incident occurs when a backing vehicle strikes a worker who is standing, walking or kneeling behind the vehicle.
From 2018 to 2021, 277 U.S. workers died after being run or backed over by a vehicle, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. These preventable workplace deaths often involve large vehicles, such as those used in construction, agriculture, warehouse and manufacturing industries where equipment or vehicles are regularly on the move.
According to OSHA, these accidents can happen for a number of reasons:
- A driver may not be able to see a worker in their blind spot.
- A worker may not hear backup alarms because of other worksite noises or the alarms are not functioning.
- A spotter assisting one truck may not see another one 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.
Protecting your workers
OSHA has a web page dedicated to preventing back-over injuries and deaths. It recommends the following:
Use a spotter — Drivers can use a spotter to help them back up their vehicles. Also, install video cameras with in-vehicle display monitors that give drivers a view of what is behind them.
Install proximity detection devices — These include systems like radar and sonar, which can alert drivers to objects that are behind them.
Use a tag-based system — In such a system all employees in the yard must wear electronic tags that “communicate” with the driver through warning signals. These systems can let drivers know when other employees are behind the vehicle, and they can alert workers when they walk near a tag-equipped vehicle.
Internal traffic control plans — Depending on the layout and functions of your worksite, you can create internal traffic control plans that tell the drivers where to drive. These plans can help reduce the need to back up. In some cases, internal traffic control plans can also be used to separate employees on foot from operating equipment.
Don’t forget training
You should train all new employees on safety when working around vehicles and mobile equipment. Hold annual refresher courses, and also make sure your safety rules are in your company operations and safety manuals.
Train your employees about blind spots, behind and around vehicles. By training workers on where those blind spots are and how to avoid being in them, employers can prevent some back-over incidents.
One component of this training can include putting employees who will be working around vehicles in the driver’s seat, in order to get a feel for where the blind spots are and what, exactly, the drivers can see.
This gives them new perspective and reinforces the notion that drivers cannot see everything or everybody in their proximity.