The OSHA rules for
heavy equipment are broken down into two sections: motor vehicles and materials
handling equipment. The motor vehicles section covers off-road vehicles, and
on-road vehicles such as dump trucks and pick-ups when they are off-road. The
materials handling section is further broken down into: earth moving equipment
such as scrapers, loaders, and dozers; and materials moving equipment such as
forklifts and telescopic handlers. This handout will help you get the big
picture of how OSHA approaches the safety rules for heavy equipment.
General safety and
health provisions
Using any machinery,
tool, material, or equipment not in compliance with OSHA standards is
prohibited. They must be identified as unsafe by tagging or locking the
controls, or be physically removed from the jobsite.
Only employees
qualified by training or experience can operate equipment and machinery.
Motor vehicles and
mechanized equipment-General requirements
This section covers
equipment in general. It discusses:
·
Leaving equipment unattended at night.
·
Using safety tire racks and cages when inflating
tires.
·
Suspending, blocking, and cribbing equipment to
prevent falling or shifting during maintenance.
·
Moving in the vicinity of power lines or energized
transmitters.
·
Parking brakes, safety glass, and other safety
equipment.
Motor vehicles
This section covers
motor vehicles that operate at off-highway jobsites, not open to public
traffic. This section discusses:
·
vehicle safety equipment such as brakes and lights,
·
horns and reverse signal alarms,
·
windshields and seat belts, and
·
inspections.
Earthmoving equipment
These rules apply to
earthmoving equipment such as scrapers, loaders, crawlers, wheel tractors,
bulldozers, off-highway trucks, graders, and similar equipment. This section
covers:
·
seat belts,
·
roadways and grades,
·
brakes,
·
fenders,
·
rollover protective structures, and
·
horns.
Materials handling
equipment
These rules apply to
lift trucks, stackers, forklifts, handlers, and similar equipment. This section
covers:
·
rated capacities,
·
modifications and additions,
·
steering mechanisms,
·
overhead guards, and
·
personnel platforms attached to forks.
The OSHA regulations
and your operators manual, together, are good companions and give you the tools
you need to make your equipment operations and your jobsite safer.
This information is provided by Assurance Agency https:www.assuranceagency.com