Earthmoving Equipment Safety

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, classifies tractors, bulldozers, scrapers, graders and off-highway trucks as types of earthmoving equipment. Earthmoving equipment requires safety standards and guidelines to make sure they operate correctly and function properly.

Features

• OSHA says that all earthmoving equipment must be equipped with safety features, such as seat belts, brakes and rollover protective structures. All machinery must have clear visibility points for the operator, so he can see his surroundings when operating the machinery. Earthmoving equipment with obstructed views will not be permitted for use.

Prevention/Solution

• One way to ensure the safety of earthmoving equipment is to perform routine safety inspections. During an inspection, the equipment is tested to see that it functions properly and is without defects. Defective features, such as unresponsive brakes, must be repaired before the machinery can be used again.

Considerations

• Bidirectional earthmoving equipment is required to have audible alarms for extra safety precautions. Horns must be fully functional for forward directions, and reverse alarms must work when vehicles are moving backward.