Manoeuvering Heavy Equipment in Close Quarters

1
08/93

Committed to
Safety

• Manoeuvring Heavy Equipment in Close Quarters
• Background
• Two recent fatal accidents highlight the need
  for improving the safety awareness of personnel
  working in the vicinity of heavy equipment such
  as plant and large trucks. Our accident
  statistics indicate that approximately 50 of
  reported vehicle accidents involve reversing of
  the vehicle into fixed objects. Activities such
  as Seismic, pipeline construction and earth
  moving involve close interaction between vehicles
  and people and therefore have an increased risk
  of injurious accidents.
• Recommendations
• To prevent an accident during close quarter
  operations, it is strongly recommended that
• A signal man (sometimes called a banksman) be
  appointed to coordinate the efforts of workers
  and plant operators
• The signal man must maintain direct eye contact
  with the plant or vehicle operator when close
  manoeuvring
• Reversing should only be done as a last resort
• If there is no supervisor or signal man on site,
  the driver should dismount and ask for
  assistance
• Passengers should dismount and assist the driver
  whenever possible
• Workers should remain alert to moving vehicles or
  plant.
• Learning Points
• Simple tasks such as working near heavy equipment
  have hazards that often go unrecognised. Visual
  communication with the driver/operator is
  strongly recommended. Furthermore, supervisors
  can improve the safety of close quarter vehicle
  operations by taking control and supporting the
  driver/operator where possible.
• Remember, supervisors have a key function in
  identifying hazards before the job begins.