More than a quarter of all significant vehicle accidents happen while backing up. Over the past decade, hundreds of workers have lost their lives on the job as a result of backover indicents, and thousands more have been injured.
In the book Risk Analysis and Security Countermeasure Selection, Second Edition, by Thomas Norman, the author suggests that there are two main ways to minimize risk: Eliminate or mitigate the hazard so the accident cannot occur, or modify the behavior of the person or machine initiating the triggering event so that the accident will not happen.
Limiting the backing up of vehicles when personnel and other vehicles are present is an example of mitigating the risk of backovers. Utilizing trained spotters who have been trained in spotting and those trained in the use of large cargo tanker trucks is an example of modifying the behavior of the triggering event. Both can help mitigate the risk of worker injury.
What is Truck Spotting?
Truck spotting or positioning is the act of parking pneumatic hoppers, proppant boxes, ISOtainers, or other vehicles in a predetermined centerline at a loading/unloading rack. Drivers typically have no one to assist them. If it is their first time at a facility, they may have to reposition the vehicle several times before they can safely access the truck if there are no markers present to help guide them into position.
Truck spotting allows a “spotter” to assist the driver of a large truck who may not have a clear view of his or her direction of travel. The spotter provides another visual perspective and helps the driver maneuver the truck without causing damage to the truck or others using prearranged hand signals. Truck spotting is commonly used to back trucks up and position them for loading and unloading.
Using Spotters to Mitigate Risk
The use of spotters has been proven to reduce backup accidents. But before spotters can be safely used, some things must be considered.
- Spotters and drivers must agree on voice and hand signal communication before the backing begins.
- Spotters must be visible and maintain contact with the driver.
- If contact is lost with the spotter, the driver must stop immediately.
- Spotters should never have additional duties while they are spotting.
- There should never be more than one spotter per vehicle to avoid confusion.
Spotters should be fully trained and designated to the task at hand. Part of the safety education and training should include how to analyze an area before commencing back-up. If the area is near where workers frequent, it’s wise to add additional personnel to stop pedestrian traffic. But at the very least, the spotter should know what to look for, such as toilets, food carts, water coolers, and other places employees would walk to and from regularly.
Spotters should also learn to watch for signs of worker distraction, which can include plugging ears or looking to the ground. This could mean that a worker is on the phone, listening to music, or concentrating on another task. Conversely, workers who are focused aren’t usually paying attention to their environment. During shift changes, backing up vehicles should be highly discouraged, but, if it cannot be avoided, spotters should be extra diligent.
When one vehicle uses a spotter, ensure all other vehicles use spotters at that time too. If they don’t, the spotter becomes a target for other moving vehicles. Put another way, be sure you have someone who is spotting the spotter.
Cameras
The majority of modern vehicles are equipped with backup cameras. The cameras give the operator a view of the areas near the vehicle’s rear. If vehicles do not come standard with the cameras, they can be purchased as after-market equipment.
Larger vehicles may require multiple cameras. Many vehicles also come equipped with backup sensors or “proximity detection systems.” More advanced systems have devices on the vehicle that recognize sensors worn by personnel. In this case, the vehicle will automatically stop as well as warn the personnel if someone with a sensor gets within a certain range of the vehicle’s path.
Remember, cameras can increase safety, but they’re not replacements for human spotters. Further, even the best camera configuration is not going to fully eliminate blind spots. You cannot hope to see all areas of the vehicle at once. Operators who use backup cameras shouldn’t rely too heavily on them and lose sight of their spotter.
Variables
Spotters must also be aware of and ready to adapt to changing situations. If new equipment has been added to the worksite, they may have to guide the vehicle through a different path. When new safety equipment, docks, ramps, or other pieces are added, there will be a learning curve for both the spotter and the operator. In these situations, it pays to practice when there are no personnel around, if possible.
One of the greatest hazards is a change to a long-standing traffic control plan. When employees become used to a certain traffic flow, they can become complacent in areas where they’re certain they will not encounter vehicles. In addition, when loading and safety processes are designed to work with one type of product or truck, truck spotting is routine. If, however, your facility encounters different-sized trucks and new loading processes, truck spotting practices must adapt to those changing demands. When a vehicle control plan or loading processes are changed, ensure all employees are thoroughly briefed and spotters are on the alert.
While OSHA, MSHA, and other oversight organizations have strict rules on workplace safety, your goal should never be to simply comply with their standards. It should be to do whatever it takes to keep your employees safe. Effective truck spotting is one of the best methods to reduce back-overs.
Improve Truck Spotting Efficiency with the Right Loading Platform
Choosing the right loading platform solution can go a long way toward improving safety and reducing the need for truck spotting. SafeRack’s innovative track-mounted gangways are designed to slide horizontally along the loading platform, allowing workers to access hatches safely and easily without the need to reposition the vehicle. Operators also gain the flexibility that they need to spot vehicles of all types and sizes, helping to speed up loading and unloading time, cut costs, and boost productivity.
When it comes to keeping the rest of your worksite safe, there is no substitute for partnering with an established safety solution team. They can work with you to overcome all of your safety risks, including flatbed fall protection and truck loading racks, gangways and loading ramps, harness systems, and custom loading skids.
Best Practices
- Provide a means to align bulk trailers under truck racks to ensure the ramp is aligned correctly with the trailer’s lids so that miners have safe access. Alignment methods can include painted lines, concrete barriers, cameras, monitors, or sensors to indicate proper positioning.
- Provide a thoroughfare that allows vehicles enough room to align in parallel to the platform.
- Examine work areas and routinely monitor work habits to ensure that workers follow safe work procedures.
- Identify and control all hazards associated with the work to be performed.
- Provide signage that shows proper alignment and procedures
Correct Spotting is Critical
- If the hatch is mis-spotted it creates gaps greater than OSHA/MSHA acceptable levels
- It slows down operations and throughput
- Equipment absorbs unintended forces and damage
- Damage to equipment shortens its lifespan and voids the warranty
- Truck height dictates centerline… Lower trucks will have different centerlines than higher trucks
Truck Alignment Guides
- Install truck guides to match the equipment layout of existing or new platform and vehicle parameters
- Centerlines change as truck heights change
- Restrict the area as closely as possible to reduce the potential for driver error
Offset Extended Profile Cage
- Larger footprint of the lower portion of the cage allows for multi-directional hatch opening
- Lower rails of cage extend below hatch and walk surface to cut down bottom rail gaps. Typical gap on the bottom rail is 6” or less. Standard four rail cages 16″-19″
- The extended coverage requires very accurate spotting or it will hit vehicles and create unsafe conditions