Backing safety toolbox talk

Read this to your crew

A work truck has big blind spots behind it and along the passenger side. A backup alarm helps, but it doesn’t mean anyone heard it. So today is about backing only when we have to, and doing it the same way every time.

First, plan to avoid backing. Pull through when you can. When you park, back in at the start of the shift, so you pull out forward later when the site is busier.

Second, if you can’t see, get out and look. Walk around the back of the truck before you move. Things change in the few minutes since you last looked.

Third, use a spotter whenever one is available, and agree on the signals before you move: stop, come back, slow down, turn. If you lose sight of your spotter in the mirror, stop. Spotters, stand where the driver can see you, never directly behind the truck, and never walk backward between the truck and something solid.

Cameras and alarms help, but they don’t replace a look and a spotter. Keep the camera lens clean and make sure the alarm works.

Finally, back slowly. If anything doesn’t look right, stop and check.

The rule behind it

On construction sites, OSHA allows a vehicle with an obstructed view to the rear to back up only if it has a reverse alarm that can be heard above the surrounding noise, or if an observer signals that it is safe (29 CFR 1926.601(b)(4)). Your company or the site may require both.

• OSHA 29 CFR 1926.601: Motor vehicles (construction)