Raising awareness, reducing injuries 604.636.3675 1.877.860.3675 info@bccsa.ca www.bccsa.

ca
BEST PRACTI CE
F O R S A F E B A C K I N G & E Q U I P M E N T B L I N D S P O T S
CREATED SEPTEMBER 2012
INTRODUCTION
Incidents at construction sites involving vehicles/equipment
backing over or striking workers highlights a critical need for
everyone to continually assess hazards, and review safe work
practices & procedures. Poor sight lines and lack of visibility
are inherent in most vehicles and equipment used on construc-
tion sites. This is especially true when the vehicles/equipment
is backing up, or moving in areas where space is limited and
the turning radius is tight. Warning devices such as back-up
alarms are provided on trucks and mobile equipment, but this
is not always sufcient to ensure worker safety.
Proper site planning, controlling and coordinating equipment
movement, trafc control systems and worker training are the
best ways to reduce incidents where vehicles/equipment and
employees must work in the same area.
Driver Blind Spots (dark areas)
THE ISSUE
In the summer 2012 three workers were struck by vehicles or
mobile equipment on worksites in BC, two of those workers
died as a result of their injuries.
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
The BC Construction Safety Alliance has created this Best Prac-
tice to help companies develop effective risk assessment proce-
dures and corrective actions to help prevent these occurrences:
1. Assess the site hazards and organize the work to ensure
safe movement of vehicles and equipment. Whenever pos-
sible, plan the work to allow for drive-through operations
that will limit the need for vehicles to backup.
2. Establish designated travel areas, ideally with barricades or
other means to set them apart from other work locations.
3. Reduce foot trafc in areas where dump trucks and mobile
equipment are to be working.
4. Establish a system to control movement of vehicles and
equipment on site if it is necessary to have workers and
dump trucks and/or mobile equipment working in the same
area.
Operator Blind Spots (dark areas)
Raising awareness, reducing injuries 604.636.3675 1.877.860.3675 info@bccsa.ca www.bccsa.ca
BEST PRACTICE FOR SAFE BACKING & EQUIPMENT BLIND SPOTS
#400-625 Agnes Street
New Westminster, BC V3M 5Y4
5. Use a Trafc Control Person (TCP) to control trafc move-
ment on site where there is heavy trafc. The TCP must
be trained, wear high visibility safety apparel, wear safety
footwear and headwear.
6. Ensure TCPs and spotters know the driver blind spots and
remain at all times visible to the driver, and any other work-
ers in the travel area.
7. Ensure that spotters, TCPs and all other ground workers
make eye contact with the driver/operator prior to giving
signals, changing locations or moving around vehicles/
equipment. Drivers/operators must immediately stop
movement of the vehicle/equipment if they lose sight of
ground personnel, and determine that they are in a safe
location prior to resuming movement.
8. Ensure that the driver/operator always obeys the signal
person (spotter or TCP) and never backs up or moves in
congested areas without the signal person indicating the
path is clear. The driver/operator must be trained to under-
stand all signals used by the signal person.
9. Train all workers to recognize driver/operator blind spots
and avoid entering these areas.
10. Ensure back-up alarms on all mobile equipment are in
good working order.