OSHA breaks down heavy equipment operating at jobsites into two types: motor vehicles and materials handling equipment. Motor vehicles are those pieces of equipment that can operate both at a jobsite and on the highway. Dump trucks, flatbeds, and pickups, are some examples of these vehicles. Transporting workers, equipment, and materials would be some of their functions.

When these vehicles are operating on the highway, Department of Transportation (DOT), state, and local rules apply. When they enter a jobsite, DOT and OSHA rules must be followed. Equipment safety requirements and inspections are covered by 29 CFR 1926.601. General vehicle operation requirements are found in 29 CFR 1926.20.

Construction jobsites are dangerous places. When heavy equipment is operating, jobsites become even more dangerous.

Safe operation of heavy equipment involves seeing the big picture. You must:

• Have safe equipment;
• Have the right personal stuff — proper training and an attitude toward safety; and
• Be aware of jobsite activities, including the terrain, other equipment, fellow workers, overhead lines, and many more observations.

Noise, equipment exhaust, earth vibrations, swinging buckets and booms, and vehicle blind spots all make construction sites dangerous places. However, dangerous does not have to mean unsafe. Earplugs, ventilation, signaling, barricades, warning signs, alert workers, and safety monitors, can all contribute to making a hazardous jobsite a safe place to work.

The following rules talk about OSHA-required safety equipment and pre-operation inspection.

Motor vehicles — Required equipment

• All vehicles must have a service, emergency, and parking brake system in good working condition.
• When visibility conditions warrant additional light, all vehicles in use must be equipped with at least two operational headlights and two taillights.
• All vehicles must have operable brake lights and a horn at the operator’s station.
• No driver can operate a motor vehicle with an obstructed view to the rear unless it has a reverse signal alarm you can hear above the surrounding noise level, or the vehicle is backed up when an observer says it is safe to do so.
• All vehicles with cabs must have windshields and wipers. Cracked or broken glass must be replaced.
• Haulage vehicles, whose pay load is loaded by cranes, power shovels, loaders, or similar equipment, must have a cab shield or canopy to protect the operator from shifting materials.
• Tools and material must be secured to prevent movement when transported in the same compartment with workers.
• Vehicles used to transport workers must have seats firmly secured and adequate for the number of workers to be carried.
• Seat belts must be installed in all motor vehicles.
• Trucks with an open-box bed must have positive means of support, permanently attached and capable of being locked in position to prevent accidental lowering of the bed. The bed should be lowered before driving the truck to prevent contact with overhead power lines.
• Operating levers controlling hoisting/dumping devices must be equipped with a latch or other device which will prevent accidental starting or tripping of the mechanism. Operators must avoid wearing loose clothing or personal protective clothing to avoid accidentally contacting/pulling levers.

Motor vehicles overview

• Dump truck tailgate trip handles must be arranged so that in dumping, the operator will be in the clear.
• All rubber-tired motor vehicles must be equipped with fenders (or mud flaps if not designed for fenders).

Motor vehicles — Inspections

• Never use any machinery, tools, or equipment not in compliance with OSHA standards and the manufacturer’s operations manual(s). Broken equipment must be identified as unsafe and tagged or locked or be physically removed from the jobsite.
• At the beginning of each shift you must check each vehicle you intend to operate for damage to the following components/systems:
  • All brake systems;
  • Tires;
  • Horn;
  • Steering mechanism;
  • Coupling devices;
  • Seat belts;
  • Operating controls; and
  • All safety devices. When such equipment is necessary, these requirements also apply to lights, reflectors, windshield wipers, defrosters, and fire extinguishers.

Motor vehicles — Operation

Employees must be qualified by training or experience to operate any equipment or machinery (1926.20).

Employee training

The construction rules for equipment and machinery do not discuss specific training requirements. However, operators of equipment and machinery must be qualified by training or experience to operate any equipment or machinery.

Training tips

• Demonstrate a pre-operational inspection on a frequently used piece of equipment.

Where to go for more information

• 29 CFR Subpart O — Motor vehicles, mechanized equipment, and marine operations.
• 29 CFR 1926.20 — General safety and health provisions.
• 49 CFR 350 to 399 — Federal motor carrier safety regulations.

A backover incident occurs when a backing vehicle or mobile equipment strikes a worker who is standing, walking, or kneeling behind it. These types of incidents are not uncommon.

• Backup incidents can happen for many reasons:
• Drivers may not be able to see an employee in their blind spot;
• Employees may not hear back-up alarms over jobsite noise;
• A spotter assisting one vehicle may not see another vehicle;
• Employees riding on vehicles or equipment may fall off and get backed over; and/or
• Drivers might assume that the area is clear and not look.

Why backovers happen

Backup incidents can happen for many reasons:

• Drivers may not be able to see an employee in their blind spot;
• Employees may not hear back-up alarms over site noise;
• A spotter assisting one vehicle may not see another vehicle;
• Employees riding on vehicles may fall off and get backed over;
• Drivers might assume that the area is clear and not look; or
• A combination of the above and/or other factors.

Back-up alarms or spotters required

Many construction vehicles and mobile equipment (we’ll call them vehicles) have audible alarms that sound when they’re put into reverse and backed up. OSHA has three construction safety regulations that require back-up alarms or spotters when backing vehicles with an obstructed view to the rear — 29 CFR 1926.601, .602, and .959. An air horn can also be used in place of a non-working back-up alarm or horn.

Spotting is a proven method of protecting employees on foot behind vehicles, but spotters themselves may be at risk. You can implement the following actions to keep your spotters safe:

• Ensure spotters and drivers agree on hand signals beforehand;
• Instruct spotters to always maintain visual contact with the driver while the vehicle is backing;
• Instruct drivers to stop backing if they lose sight of a spotter;
• Don’t give spotters added duties while they are spotting;
• Instruct spotters not to use cell phones, personal headphones, or other devices that may distract the spotter; and
• Provide spotters with high-visibility clothing.

Other technologies

Beyond audible alarms, new technologies have also been developed to address backing hazards, such video cameras, proximity sensing devices (radar/sonar), and alarms combined with lights. As an employer, you can also reduce or eliminate backovers by:

• Developing and implementing standard operating procedures to minimize work performed near vehicles;
• Using equipment designed to minimize blind areas and vehicles with proximity warning systems;
• Requiring the use of high-visibility apparel for site employees;
• Ensuring drivers only back up under the direction of a spotter; Implementing a set of communication signals (i.e., verbal, hand signals, or flags) for spotters, drivers, and employees;
• Ensuring daily communication between the prime and subcontractors to discuss any changes in traffic flow;
• Channeling construction vehicles away from workers using barrels, delineators, barricades, or cones;
• Installing signs to guide employees on foot with respect to traffic areas, vehicle flow, and worker-free zones; and
• Ensuring construction vehicles and their safety features (reverse alarm, video cameras, mirrors, windows, brakes, lights, horns, etc.) are maintained and inspected at the beginning of each shift. Defective vehicles and devices should be reported and removed from service until repaired.

Employee training

Training is another tool to prevent backover incidents. According to 1926.21, you must instruct each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and the regulations to control or eliminate hazards or exposure. Section 1926.20 permits only those employees qualified by training or experience to operate equipment. OSHA recommends that employers offer a training program in the employees’ primary language and literacy level that includes:

• The driver’s visual limits or blind spots on specific vehicles used onsite and how employees on foot can avoid them;
• Standard operating procedures that minimize exposure of employees on foot to backing vehicles; and
• Daily pre-work safety meetings to discuss the work, hazards, safety procedures, and any changes to the work plan.

Where to go for more information

• 29 CFR 1926.601 — Motor vehicles.
• 29 CFR 1926.602 — Material handling equipment.
• 29 CFR 1926.959 — Mechanical equipment.

The OSHA rules only generalize when it comes to inspection of heavy equipment, and they just cover safety equipment.

The best source for inspection criteria is manufacturer’s documentation. If that documentation does not have a comprehensive checklist, then you should assemble your own from the operating instructions and maintenance procedures.

You may have two or three checklists for inspecting equipment and machinery:

• Site safety checklist;
• Safety equipment on machinery and equipment; and
• Systems checks — oil, hydraulic, etc. The following requirements are OSHA’s contribution to your inspection checklists.

General safety and health provisions (1926.20)

This section says that frequent and regular inspection of materials and equipment must be made by your competent person. OSHA generally considers daily, and as necessary when situations dictate, as being frequent and regular.

Motor vehicles and mechanized equipment (1926.600)

There are no direct requirements for equipment inspection in this general requirements section. Some site safety and general inspection questions on an inspection checklist might be:

• Does all equipment left unattended at night have appropriate lights, reflectors, or barricades to identify location?
• Are all requirements of 1926.550(a)(15) being followed when equipment is used or moved in the vicinity of power lines?

Motor vehicles (1926.601)

This section covers motor vehicles that operate within an off-highway jobsite, not open to public traffic. Inspection requirements are:

All vehicles must be checked at the beginning of each shift to ensure the following parts, equipment, and accessories are in safe operating condition and free of apparent damage that could cause failure while in use:

• Service brakes, including trailer brake connections;
• Parking system (hand brake);
• Emergency stopping system (brakes);
• Tires;
• Horn;
• Steering mechanism;
• Coupling devices;
• Seat belts;
• Operating controls; and
• Safety devices.

All defects must be corrected before the vehicle is placed in service. These requirements also apply to equipment such as lights, reflectors, windshield wipers, defrosters, fire extinguishers, etc., where such equipment is necessary.

Inspection of your machinery and equipment is important. If you operate any equipment or machinery you may be required to perform pre-operational and operational checks. There are also periodic inspections (monthly) and sometimes annual inspections you might be involved in. Quite often the equipment operator is also the company competent person on that equipment.

You should have at least two, and maybe three, checklists for inspecting equipment and machinery:

• Site safety checklist
  • What is going on around where you are going to operate the equipment?
  • Are appropriate areas barricaded to keep unwanted people out?
• Safety equipment on machinery and equipment checklist
  • Are back-up alarms, seat belts, lights, horn, etc., in good working order?
  • Do you know how to use it?
• Systems checklist
  • How is the oil level?
  • Does the bucket raise and lower properly?

Material handling equipment (1926.602)

These rules apply to earthmoving equipment such as: scrapers, loaders, crawlers, wheel tractors, bulldozers, off-highway trucks, graders, tractors, and similar equipment. There are no direct requirements for equipment inspection in this general requirements section. Some general inspection questions on a checklist might be:

• Are seat belts provided on all equipment required by 1926.602 to have seat belts?
• Are scissor points on all front end loaders guarded, if they constitute a hazard to the operator during normal operation?

Employee training

The only requirement for employee training in regards to heavy equipment inspection is the requirement for competent persons to make frequent and regular inspection of jobsites, materials, and equipment by competent persons designated by the employer. It takes training to be a competent person.

Training tips

• Prepare “checklists” from the requirements of the rules that specifically apply to your equipment and introduce them at this talk.

Where to go for more information

29 CFR Subpart O — Motor vehicles, mechanized equipment, and marine operations.

29 CFR 1926.20 — General safety and health provisions.

Materials handling equipment covers a wide range of jobsite workhorses. Materials handling equipment includes:

• Earthmoving equipment — This equipment primarily moves dirt around; some can double as equipment haulers. This includes scrapers, loaders, crawler or wheel tractors, bulldozers, off-highway trucks, graders, agricultural and industrial tractors, and similar equipment.
• Lifting and hauling equipment — This equipment moves raw materials around your jobsite. This includes industrial trucks like forklifts, telescopic handlers, etc.

Earthmoving equipment rules

Some OSHA rules for this type of equipment include the following:

• Seat belts – Must be provided on all equipment covered by the OSHA materials handling section (29 CFR 1926.602);
  • Are not needed on equipment designed only for stand-up operation, and
  • Need not be provided for equipment which does not have roll-over protective structure (ROPS) or adequate canopy protection.
• Roadways and grades – No construction equipment or vehicles can be driven on any access roadway or grade unless the roadway/grade is specifically made to handle safely the equipment or vehicles involved.
  • Every emergency access ramp and berm must be constructed to restrain and control runaway vehicles.
• Brakes — All earthmoving equipment must have service brakes capable of stopping and holding the equipment when fully loaded.
• Audible alarms – All bidirectional machines, such as rollers, compacters, front-end loaders, bulldozers, and similar equipment, must be equipped with a horn, distinguishable from the surrounding noise level, which shall be operated as needed when the machine is moving in either direction.
  • The horn must work at all times.– No earthmoving or compacting equipment with an obstructed view to the rear, can be used in reverse, unless it has a reverse signal alarm distinguishable from the surrounding noise, or another employee signals that it is safe to operate in reverse.
• Scissor points — Scissor points on all front-end loaders which are a hazard to the operator during normal operation, must be guarded.

Lifting and hauling equipment rules

Lifting and hauling equipment must meet the following requirements:

• Lift trucks, stackers, etc., must have the rated capacity clearly posted on the vehicle so the operator can see it. Capacities must be adjusted accordingly and posted when adding removable auxiliary counterweights provided by the manufacturer. Ratings must never be exceeded.
• No modifications or additions which affect the capacity or safe operation of the equipment can be made without the manufacturer’s written approval. If such modifications or changes are made, the capacity, operation, and maintenance instruction plates, tags, or decals must be changed accordingly. In no case shall the original safety factor of the equipment be reduced.
• Steering or spinner knobs cannot be attached to the steering wheel unless the steering mechanism can prevent road reactions from causing the steering handwheel to spin. The steering knob must be mounted within the periphery of the wheel.
• Unauthorized people cannot ride on powered industrial trucks. Where riding is authorized, a safe place to ride must be provided.

Employee training

The construction rules for earthmoving type materials handling equipment (bulldozers, graders, etc.) do not discuss specific training requirements. However, operators of equipment and machinery must be qualified by training or experience to operate any equipment (1926.20).

Anyone operating a powered industrial truck must be trained and evaluated. Specific OSHA training requirements are found at 1926.602(d). You must ensure that each operator is competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely, as demonstrated by the successful completion of the training and evaluation specified in the regulation.

Where to go for more information

• 29 CFR 1926.20 — General safety and health provisions.
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart O — Motor vehicles, mechanized equipment, and marine operations.
• 29 CFR 1926.602(c) — Lifting and hauling equipment.
• 29 CFR 1926.602(d) — Powered industrial truck operator training.

For safe operation of heavy equipment your equipment operators must:

• Have safe equipment.
• Have the right personal stuff — proper training and an attitude toward safety.
• Be aware of the jobsite activities including the terrain, other equipment, fellow workers, overhead lines, and many more observations.

Safe equipment

OSHA usually concentrates on the safety features of equipment. Many other things can go wrong to make equipment unsafe. That is why a pre-operational walk around and a prestart up (in cab) inspection is important. Checklists, tailored to each piece of equipment, are important in this process.

A sample of the OSHA requirements for safe equipment is:

• Are service, emergency, and parking brakes working?
• Are headlights, taillights, and back-up lights operable?
• Does the audible warning device (horn) work?

Jobsite safety

Site activity checklists are also important for safe equipment operations. Accidents can be avoided if everyone has a clear understanding of the work to be done. Consideration must be given to all actual and potential dangers at the jobsite. The following are some of the jobsite hazards to be considered:

Overhead lines

Contact between large jobsite equipment and overhead lines is a major cause of fatal occupational injuries in the United States. All overhead lines must be considered to be energized unless and until the person owning the line, or the electrical utility authorities, indicate it is not an energized line, and it is visibly grounded and appropriately marked. The OSHA regulations have specific requirements for the safe use of equipment close to overhead lines.

Hand signals

When operating cranes the signal person and the crane operator must know the hand signals required by OSHA. In many situations hand signals can work for other equipment.

Barricades

Barricades must be set up to protect employees from being struck or crushed by rotating superstructures of cranes and excavators. Barricades should also be set up to warn other workers of other heavy equipment operations.

These are just a few examples of what you can do to improve site safety. Each site must be evaluated for hazards and safety measures implemented.

Employee training

The only requirement for employee training in regards to heavy equipment inspection is the requirement for competent persons to make frequent and regular inspection of jobsites, materials, and equipment by competent persons designated by the employer. It takes training to be a competent person.

Training tips

• Review a checklist for a piece of equipment;
• Show new employees the types of barricades, warning flags, and signs you use, or
• Go over your site safety checklist.

Where to go for more information

• 29 CFR Subpart O — Motor vehicles, mechanized equipment, and marine operations.
• 29 CFR 1926.20 — General safety and health provisions.

Rollover protective structures (ROPS) are frames, rollbars, or reinforced cabs on industrial tractors, agricultural tractors, and other farm equipment intended to minimize the potential for operator injury resulting from accidental upsets during normal operation.

OSHA defines the following tractors that require ROPS:

• Industrial tractors — “class of wheel-type tractors of more than 20 engine horsepower (other than rubber-tired loaders and dozers described in 29 CFR 1926.1001), used in operations such as landscaping, construction services, loading, digging, grounds keeping, and highway maintenance.”
• Agricultural tractors — “ wheel-type vehicle of more than 20 engine horsepower, used in construction work, that is designed to furnish the power to pull, propel, or drive implements. (SAE standard J333a–1970 (“Operator protection for wheel-type agricultural and industrial tractors”) defines “agricultural tractor” as a “wheel-type vehicle of more than 20 engine horsepower designed to furnish the power to pull, carry, propel, or drive implements that are designed for agricultural usage.” Since this part 1926 applies only to construction work, the SAE definition of “agricultural tractor” is adopted for purposes of this subpart.)”

Equipment manufactured before July 15, 2019 (1926.1002(b))

For equipment manufactured before July 15, 2019, the protective frames shall meet the test and performance requirements of the Society of Automotive Engineers Standard J334a, Protective Frame Test Procedures and Performance Requirements and J168, Protective enclosures-test procedures and performance requirements, as applicable (incorporated by reference, see 1926.6), or comply with the consensus standard (ISO 5700:2013) listed in paragraph (c) of this section.

Equipment manufactured on or after July 15, 2019 (1926.1002(c))

For equipment manufactured on or after July 15, 2019, the protective frames shall meet the test and performance requirements of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard ISO 5700:2013, Tractors for agriculture and forestry—Roll-over protective structures—static test method and acceptance conditions or ISO 3471:2008 Earth-Moving Machinery—Roll-over protective structures—Laboratory tests and performance requirements (incorporated by reference, see 1926.6).

To protect workers, OSHA expects employers to:

• Require that rollover guards are in place on all equipment used in site clearing operations.
• Guarantee the rollover canopy structure meets the requirement of 1926.604(a).
• Ensure rollover protective structures have the following information permanently affixed to the structure:
  • Manufacturer or fabricator’s name and address
  • ROPS model number, if any
  • Machine make, model, or series number that the structure is designed to fit.

Powered industrial trucks (PITs), also known as forklifts or lift trucks, are essential for most construction activities. Used to efficiently maneuver heavy and awkward materials, PITs can also present hazards to operators and other employees.

Construction site PIT safety requires:

• Continual evaluation of the workplace. Additional moving equipment, pedestrian employees, weather, and properly handling of loads present continual hazards for PIT operators and require continual risk assessment.
• Establishing and communicating rules and procedures for the safe operations of all PITs.
• Obtaining manufacturer’s prior written approval before making modifications that would impact safety and capacity, such as adding a man basket.
• Observing capacity ratings. The PIT’s nameplate contains important regarding load and lifting capacity. These capacities must never be exceeded.
• Operator training. All PIT operators must undergo a rigorous training that includes a combination of formal instruction (e.g., lecture, discussion, interactive computer learning, video tape, written material), practical training (demonstrations performed by the trainer and practical exercises performed by the trainee), and evaluation of the operator’s performance in the workplace. See 1910.178(l) for the full training requirements, which, among other things, include a specific list of topics, some of which may be truck- and workplace specific.
• Re-evaluation of PIT operators at least once every three years. Refresher training should also be provided any time operators are observed driving unsafely, involved in an incident or near miss, or are assigned a different type of equipment.
• Ensuring equipment is inspected at least daily and maintained properly. Where industrial trucks are used on a round-the-clock basis, PITs must be examined after each shift. Unsafe equipment must be removed from service until repaired.
• Permitting operators to operate only correctly-classified equipment in hazardous atmospheres. Refer to 1910.178 Table N-1 for PIT classifications.
• Providing designated areas for battery charging/changing operations. These areas should also have appropriate emergency equipment (first aid kit, eyewash station, etc.).

Effective training for PIT operators includes:

• Truck-related topics:
  • Training requirements and operational expectations
  • Operational control
  • Warnings and precautions
  • Steering, maneuvering, and visibility
  • Fork and attachment adaptation, operation, and use limitations
  • Refueling and/or charging and recharging of batteries
  • Inspection and maintenance requirements. Refueling and/or charging and Operating limitations.
• Facility or site-specific hazards:
  • Pedestrians
  • Obstacles, ramps/slopes, and surface conditions
  • Load manipulation, stacking, and unstacking
  • Hazardous or classified locations and materials
• Operational hazards:
  • Closed environments and other areas where insufficient ventilation or poor vehicle maintenance could cause a buildup of carbon monoxide or diesel exhaust.
  • Center of gravity — The point on an object at which all of the object’s weight is concentrated. For symmetrical loads, the center of gravity is at the middle of the load.
  • Counterweight — The weight that is built into the truck’s basic structure and is used to offset the load’s weight and to maximize the vehicle’s resistance to tipping over.
  • Load center — The horizontal distance from the load’s edge (or the fork’s or other attachment’s vertical face) to the line of action through the load’s center of gravity.
  • Terrain grades— The slope of a surface (measured in percent as the number of feet of rise or fall over a hundred foot horizontal distance) and how to operate on various grades.
• Stability triangle — Employees must understand that PITs operate differently than vehicles. The 3-point suspension system that runs along an imaginary line between a forklift’s two front tires and the center of the rear axle. Though having four wheels, PITs are only supported at these three points making maneuverability more touchy than normal vehicles.