Download pdf - Best Practices for Mobile Equipment Safety

2018-12-18 EHS Best Practice- Mobile Equipment Safety

BestPracticesforMobileEquipmentSafetyScopeThescopeofthisbestpracticeistoprovideguidelinesforthesafeoperationofallmovingvehiclesinanindustrialenvironment.MobileEquipmentincludesmaintenanceutilityvehicles(e.g.,Kalamazoos/Cushmans),golfcarts,pickuptrucks,flatbedtrucks,railcarmovers(e.g.Trackmobiles)oranyotherenginedrivenvehiclewithfourormorewheels.Poweredindustrialtrucksarecoveredby29CFR1910.178andthereadermustbethoroughlyfamiliarwiththisregulation.Thisclassificationincludeslifttrucksandtractorsthatmove,liftorpush/pullaload,suchasforktrucks.Thescopeofthisbestpracticedoesnotincludecranes.KeyPoints

• Pre-useinspectionsshouldoccurforallmobileequipment.Whilethereisnorequirementtodocumenttheseinspections,bestpracticeistodocumenttheseinspectionsforvehiclescoveredbythePoweredIndustrialTruckregulation.Inaddition,bestpracticeisalsotodocumenttheseinspectionsforrailcarmovers.

• Pedestriansareatparticularriskaroundmobileequipmentoperation.Everyattemptmustbemadetosegregatepedestriantravelareasfromtheareaswheremobileequipmentoperates,andtoensurepedestriansmakeeyecontactwithacknowledgementifit’snecessaryforthemtoenterareaswheremobileequipmentisoperating.

• Vehiclesshouldbeturnedoffandleftinasafestatewhenunattended,evenforbriefperiods.

GeneralRequirementsVehiclesshouldbeexaminedatleastdailybutalwaysbeforebeingplacedinservice,andshouldnotbeplacedinserviceiftheexaminationshowsanyconditionadverselyaffectingthesafetyofthevehicle.Ifthevehicleisusedaroundtheclock,theexaminationshouldoccuratthebeginningofeachshift.Ifatanytimeavehicleisfoundtobeinneedofrepair,defective,orinanywayunsafe,thevehicleshouldbetakenoutofserviceandnotuseduntilithasbeenrestoredtosafeoperatingcondition.ForPoweredIndustrialTrucks,bestpracticeistodocumenttheexaminationdescribedaboveonachecklistapprovedbytheSafetyDepartment.Checklistsshouldberetainedandaudited.Sampledailychecklistsareavailableathttps://www.osha.gov/dte/library/pit/pit_checklist.htmlHeadlightsshouldbeusedatnight.Cellularandtwo-wayradiouseshouldnotoccurwhenoperatinganyvehicleunlesssuchuseisrequiredbytheemployer.Forexample,two-wayradiousemaybeauthorizedwhenoperatingarailcarmovertoproperlypositionrailcars.


Keeppedestriansandvehiculartrafficsegregated.Usepedestrianbarriers,walkways,orstripingaspractical. Whenpedestriansentertrafficareas,theyshouldmakesuretogettheoperator’sattentionandpermissionbeforeenteringtheareabymakingeyecontactwithacknowledgement.Foranareawherevehiculartrafficisoccurringintermittently,bestpracticeistopositiontemporarywarningsignsindicatingtheintermittenttraffichazard.Forexample,theremaybeintermittentforktrucktrafficasittravelsbetweenawarehouseandloadingdocktoloadorstagematerial.Onlyqualifiedandauthorizedoperatorsshouldoperatemobileequipmentandthenonlyafterpropertraining.Onlyauthorizedpersonsshouldperformmaintenanceworkonvehicles.Bestpracticeisforalloperatorsofmobileequipmentmusthaveacurrentandvaliddriver’slicense.Alloperatorsmustpassamedicalexam.Operatorrestraints(seatbelts),ifavailableinthevehicle,mustbeusedatalltimeswhenthevehicleisinmotion.Driveatsafepostedspeedsatalltimes.Ifthevehiclehasnospeedometer,driveatwalkingspeed.Useextracareincongestedareas,whenmakingturnsoronroughorloosepavement.Faceinthedirectionoftravel,neverbackupwithoutlookingtoseethatallisclear.Whenapoweredindustrialtruckisleftunattended,loadengagingmeansshouldbefullylowered,controlsshouldbeneutralized,powershouldbeshutoff,andbrakesset.Wheelsshouldbeblockedifthetruckisparkedonanincline.Shutofftheengineandapplyparkingbrakewhenfillingorreplacingthefueltank.Soundhornwhenpassingthroughdoorways,whenpassingothervehicles,pedestrians,orwhereverthereisasignindicatingitsuse.Useaspotterifblindspotsareaconcern.Avoidoperatinginternalcombustionenginesinanenclosedspaceforlongperiodsoftime.Carbonmonoxidelevelsmaybecomedangerous.Becarefulwhenmountinganddismountingvehiclesandusestepswhereprovidedonthevehicle.Adistanceof2-3lengthsmustbekeptbetweenvehicles,whicharefollowingoneanother.


Whendrivingthroughafacility,avoidrunningoverunprotectedhosesanddonotdriveovermetalreinforcedhoseswhichwouldcausethemtobepermanentlydeformed.Bestpracticeistoavoidroutinghosesinareaswherevehiclestravel.Ifthisisn’tpossible,protecthosesfromtrafficwithacrossoverhoseramp.Ifavehicleisleakingfluid,donotmoveit.Takeappropriateactionstostopleakandcleanthespill.Inhazardousorelectricallyclassifiedareas,onlyuseequipmentdesignatedforuseintheseareas.ForPoweredIndustrialTrucks,befamiliarwithOSHA'struckdesignationsandhazardouslocationclassifications.Hazardousatmospheresincludethepresence,orpotentialpresenceofflammableliquidsandvapors,combustibledust,metaldust,andfibers.Invehiclebatterychargingareas,facilitiesshouldbeprovidedforflushingandneutralizingspilledelectrolyte,forfireprotection,forprotectingchargingapparatusfromdamagebytrucks,andforadequateventilationfordispersaloffumesfromgassingbatteries.Smokingshouldbeprohibitedinthechargingarea.Precautionsshouldbetakentopreventopenflames,sparks,orelectricarcsintheseareas.Over-useofmobileequipmentincongestedareascancauseunnecessarycongestionandrisk.Thisisparticularlytruewithpickuptrucksandgolfcarts.Considerdesignatingparkingareasattheperimeterofcongestedareasandencourageemployeestowalkinstead.Theobviousexceptionwouldbetotransportequipmentortoolsto/fromajobsite.Inthiscase,thevehicleshouldleavethecongestedareaafterloadingorunloadinghasoccurred.ForkTrucks(TheseareCoveredbythePoweredIndustrialTrucksRegulation)Pre-shift/useinspectionshouldbeperformedbytheoperatoranddocumentedonformsapprovedbytheSafetyDepartment.SeeadditionaldetailsintheGeneralsection.Nomodificationstotheforksshouldbemade,e.g.drillingaholeforatrailerhitch.Usefactoryapprovedattachments.Whentraveling,keeptheforks,poleorplatformaslowaspossible,consistentwithrunningclearances.Nevertravelwithaloadwhentheforksareintheraisedpositionandbeparticularlyawareofoverheadclearances.Whenparkingforktrucksleaveforksloweredandinsuchapositionasnottocreateatrippinghazard.Besurethattheforktruckisproperlyandcarefullyloaded.Seethattheloadiscorrectlystackedandbalancedandiswellbackontheforks.Donotattempttohandleloadsbeyondtheratedcapacityofthetruck,ordriveonsurfaces,whichmaynotsupportthetruckandload.


Donotallowanypersontoridetheforks,pallets,loads,orhitcharideinanymanneronvehicles,exceptwhereanauthorizedseatisprovidedforthatpurpose.Avoidsuddenstarts,stops,andturns,especiallywhencarryingaload.Applybrakesgraduallywhenstopping.Donotusereversetostopvehicleexceptincaseofemergencysuchasfailureofbrakestohold.Whenstackingmaterialonhighpiles,besurethatpedestriansandworkersareintheclear.Storageofmaterialshouldnotcreateahazard.Bags,containers,bundles,etc.,storedintiersshouldbestacked,blocked,interlockedinheightsothattheyarestableandsecuredagainstslidingorcollapse.Storedmaterialsshouldnotblockaccesstoanyemergencyexit,firefightingequipment,orelectricalpanels.Observepostedfloorloadinglimits.Inspecttheconditionofthefloor.Lookforholesorweakenedflooring,looseobjectsorobstructions,protrudingnailsorboards.Donottraveloversurfacethatcannotsupporttheweightofthelifttruck,itsloadanditsoperator.Donotenteraboxcarorsemi-vanwithoutinspectingitsfloorandknowingitsloadlimits.BefamiliarwithOSHA'struckdesignationsandhazardouslocationclassifications.Onlyusepoweredindustrialtrucksthathavethecorrectdesignationforthelocation'sclassification.Hazardousatmospheresincludethepresence,orpotentialpresenceofflammableliquidsandvapors,combustibledust,metaldust,andfibers.RailcarMovers(e.g.,Trackmobiles)Althoughrailcarmoversaren’tPoweredIndustrialTruckscoveredbytheOSHAregulation,bestpracticeistocompletedailyorshiftinspectionchecklists.GolfCartsInspectpriortouse.Tailgatesneedtobelatchedproperlywheninmotion.Whengettingoffthegolfcartturnthestarterkeytotheoffposition.MaintenanceBurdenCarriers/MaintenanceUtilityVehicles(e.g.Kalamazoos,Cushmans)Inspectpriortouse.Allloadsshouldbesecuredbeforemoving.Training(VehiclesCoveredbythePoweredIndustrialTrucksRegulation)ForforkliftsandtractorscoveredbythePoweredIndustrialTruckregulation,operatorsarerequiredtoundergoformaltrainingconsistingofinstruction(e.g.,lecture,discussion,


interactivecomputerlearningvideo,writtenmaterial),practicaltraining(demonstrationsperformedbythetrainerandpracticalexercisesperformedbythetrainee),andfollowedbyevaluationoftheoperator'sperformanceintheworkplace.Thistrainingmustbeconductedbypersonswhohavetheknowledge,training,andexperiencetotrainpoweredindustrialtruckoperatorsandevaluatetheircompetence..Refreshertrainingneedstobeconductedwhenoperatorsarefoundtobeoperatingunsafely,havebeeninanaccidentornearmiss,receiveapoorevaluation,orwhentherearechangesintheworkplaceortypeoftruck.OSHAdoes,however,requireanevaluationofeachpoweredindustrialtruckoperator’sperformanceatleastonceeverythreeyears.Bestpracticeistore-trainallaffectedemployeeseverythreeyearsinadditiontotheevaluation.Theemployershallcertifythateachoperatorhasbeentrainedandevaluatedperthecriteriaspecifiedintheregulation.Training(VehiclesnotCoveredbythePoweredIndustrialTruckRegulation)Bestpracticeistoconductinitialclassroomtrainingandcredentialverification,andtoconductrefreshertrainingeverythreeyears.Refreshertrainingshouldoccurmoreoftenwhenwarrantedbychangesinconditionsorequipment,incidentsornearmisses.Disclaimer: The statements contained in this publication are suggestions to enhance performance of certain activities. There is no warranty or guarantee that following these suggestions will prevent each and every incidence of personal injury or property damage. Neither Pine Chemicals Association International nor any of its agents, officers, employees, consultants or contractors, warrants the accuracy, reliability, completeness or timeliness of any information published here and shall not be liable for any losses caused by such reliance on the accuracy, reliability, completeness or timeliness of this information, including, but not limited to, incidental or consequential damages. This publication is provided without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including, but not limited to, an implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, compliance or non-infringement. The recipient of this information is responsible for compliance with all applicable restrictions, regulations, statutes or other standards or conditions.