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Toolbox Talks

Stay out of the machine blind spot

Stay out of the machine blind spot

Vehicles and backing 5 min 29 CFR 1926.601 · 29 CFR 1926.602

Why it matters

Dump trucks, lifts, and excavators have blind spots bigger than a person. Cutting through one to save steps is how people get hit. Go around where the operator can see you, and wait for a signal. If you run the machine, walk around it before you move after a break.

The talk

Dump trucks, lifts, and excavators have blind spots bigger than a person. You can stand behind a counterweight, beside a cab, or off the rear corner of a truck, and the operator will not see you. A mirror does not show every gap. A camera does not show every gap. Do not walk through a blind spot to save steps. The short path behind the machine is the path where people get hurt. Go the long way, out where you can be seen. 1926.601 and 1926.602 are the vehicle and equipment rules behind this. The practical rule is simple: if they cannot see you, you are in the wrong place.

Go around to where the operator can see you, and wait for a signal. Make eye contact, or get a clear wave, before you cross in front of a machine or pass near the tracks. If you did not get a signal, you were not seen. Stop and go back to a place the operator can see. Do not tap on the machine to say you are there. The operator may swing when they feel the tap, or they may not feel it at all. A radio helps, but a radio does not replace being in view. Wait until the operator knows you are there before you move through.

Mirrors and cameras do not replace looking. If you are the operator, look. Do not trust the mirror as the only check. Before you move after a break, do a walk-around. Someone may have stepped in to grab a tool, to talk, or to cut across. A person who was not there when you shut down can be there when you start. Walk all the way around. Look at the blind side, under the attachment, and behind the machine. Then get back on and move. If you are on the ground, do not use the break as the moment you cut behind the tracks.

Key points

  1. Dump trucks, lifts, and excavators have blind spots bigger than a person.
  2. Do not walk through a blind spot to save steps.
  3. Go around where the operator can see you, and wait for a signal.
  4. Do not tap the machine to announce yourself.
  5. Mirrors and cameras do not replace looking.
  6. After a break, the operator does a walk-around before moving.
  7. 1926.601 and 1926.602 are the rules behind vehicle and equipment movement.

Do this

  • Go the long way around a blind spot.
  • Wait for eye contact or a clear signal before you pass.
  • Stop and go back if you did not get a signal.
  • Walk around the machine after a break before you move it.
  • Look, even if the machine has mirrors or a camera.

Do not do this

  • Do not cut behind a truck, a lift, or an excavator to save steps.
  • Do not assume a mirror or a camera saw you.
  • Do not tap the counterweight or the cab to get noticed.
  • Do not start moving after a break without a walk-around.
  • Do not step into a blind spot during the operator's break.

Talk about it

  1. Which machines on this job have a blind spot bigger than a person?
  2. Where should people walk so the operator can see them?
  3. Who does the walk-around after a break, and what do they look for?

This is a short crew briefing. It does not replace a competent person, training, or the law.

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