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.