December 19, 2019 Safety Tip of the Week delivered to your inbox each Monday by GrainnetSafety.com
Blind Spots Around Front-End Loaders
A blind spot is the area around a vehicle or piece of construction equipment that is not visible to the operator, either by direct line of sight or indirectly by use of internal or external mirrors.
The presence of blind spots can cause the operator to run over people, materials, or strike other vehicles and equipment.
The gray shaded areas in the diagram below indicate the blind areas and mirror visibility. The diagram clearly shows the difficulty an operator may have seeing workers or other vehicles in close proximity to the loader.
In order to eliminate the potential for serious injury or fatalities, implement the following safe practices:
Establish and communicate safe work zones for front-end loaders.
Define work zones using signage, traffic cones, barriers, etc.
Establish two-way communications when entering or leaving established work zones (i.e. radios).
Always make eye contact with operators prior to entering or leaving the work zone.
Maintain safe clearance from moving equipment. Anticipate sudden movements and the direction of travel.
