A back-over incident occurs when a backing vehicle strikes a worker who is standing, walking, or kneeling beside or under a vehicle.
Back-over incidents generally are caused by a driver's inability to see a working in his or her blind spot, a worker's inability to hear backup alarms, or workers retrieving tools or equipment from under a vehicle.
A blind spot is the area around a vehicle or piece of equipment that is not visible to the operator, either by direct line of sight or indirectly by use of internatl or external mirrors.
The gray-shaded areas in the image below represent the blind spots associated with the referenced front-end loader. Areas shaded in yellow represent areas with minor visibility.
Consider the following actions to prevent back-over incidents:
Wear reflective or high-visibility clothing. Reflecting clothing should be worn during low-light periods (i.e., dusk to dawn).
Develop internal traffic control plans. Plans should coordinate the flow of moving equipment, workers, and vehicles to eliminate vehicles and employees from crossing paths.
Establish and define work zones using signs, traffic cones, caution/danger tape, spotters, etc.
Do not allow workers to enter working zones, unless verbal and visual contact is made with the equipment's operator.
Eliminate cell phone use in traffic areas, work zones, and shipping/receiving areas.
Equip vehicles with in-vehicle display monitors (backup cameras).
Ensure backup warning devices are operational.
Communicate with drivers (verbal, or visual,) prior to crossing in front-of, between, or behind vehicles.
Never cross under vehicles, trailers, railcars, etc.