Heavy Vehicle Safety
Using and working around heavy equipment and machinery on construction sites can lead to serious injury or death.
Construction workers and vehicle operators should not be allowed to handle heavy machinery without proper training. Failing to follow proper safety precautions, hurrying, and a lack of attention are major causes of construction equipment accidents.
Follow the precautions and best practices below to make sure operators and others working around heavy equipment do not get injured or killed.
Make sure all vehicles are equipped with:
- a service brake system
- an emergency brake system
- a parking brake system
- working headlights, tail lights, and brake lights
- an audible warning device (horn)
- intact windshield with working windshield wipers
Real World Accident
A foreman's 15-year-old step-son was tragically killed while the youth was operating a forklift at the warehouse. The victim was being shown how to operate the forklift and was practicing picking up and moving empty pallets. He had just unloaded a pallet in the warehouse and had picked the empty pallet off the floor when he lost control of the forklift. The police investigator stated that the forklift suddenly went backward, crashed open a closed loading bay door and dropped four feet to the ground. The victim fell off, and the forklift landed on top of him. The victim was pinned to the ground and sustained massive chest injuries.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
7-8. All heavy equipment vehicles must be equipped with _____.
You forgot to answer the question!