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Portland, OR — In an effort to prevent worker deaths and injuries stemming from runover and backover incidents, the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences has issued a hazard alert.
Despite advances in technology, injuries and deaths from backing vehicles continue to occur. With federal regulation no longer on the horizon, experts say employers need to implement best practices to keep workers safe.
Backing vehicles and equipment are a serious occupational hazard. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that, of the 443 struck-by fatalities at road construction sites between 2003 and 2010, 143 cases involved a vehicle or mobile equipment backing up.
Washington – By May 2018, all new vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds – including buses and trucks – will need to be equipped with rear visibility systems, according to a final rule issued March 31 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
From 2005 to 2010, dump trucks, semi-trailers, trucks, forklifts, garbage trucks and pickup trucks were involved in nearly 200 workplace backover deaths, according to OSHA.
Concerns are growing about the high number of deaths due to vehicles or equipment backing over workers. An OSHA standard for regulating backing operations does not exist, but employers can take proactive steps to reduce the hazard.
