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Toolbox Talks

Augers and post drivers: caught, kicked, and hit

Augers and post drivers: caught, kicked, and hit

Caught-between 5 min 29 CFR 1926.300 · 29 CFR 1926.101 · 29 CFR 1926.102

Landscaping

Why it matters

A post hole auger that grabs a root can twist the handles out of your hands or pull a sleeve into the flights. A post driver that slips off the top of a post comes down on your head or hands. These tools hurt people in a second, on jobs that feel routine.

The talk

The worst auger days start with something small. A two-man auger hits a root and stops, and the engine keeps turning, so the handles swing around and catch someone in the ribs. A worker reaches in to knock dirt off the flights while it is still turning. A loose sleeve, a hoodie string, or a glove gets caught, and the auger winds it up. On a skid steer or tractor auger, a helper stands close to steady the bit and gets hit when it kicks. With a manual post driver, someone lifts it too high, it comes off the top of the post, and it lands on his head or hand.

OSHA's tool rules are general but they still apply here. Every tool, whether the company's or your own, has to be kept in safe condition. Exposed moving parts like drive shafts, PTO shafts, belts, and chains have to be guarded. The auger flights themselves can't be guarded, so the rest is how you run it. Post drivers and gas augers are loud. When the noise can't be brought down, hearing protection has to be provided and worn. Chips, dirt, and rock fly, so eye protection is a must.

Here is how we run it. Read the maker's instructions for the auger or driver you are using. Check guards, handles, and the kill switch before you start. Wear snug clothes, tie back long hair, and tuck in strings. Keep a wide stance and brace for kickback on handheld augers, and on a two-man auger both people stay on the handles. Let the auger stop before you clean the flights. On machine augers, nobody stands close while it turns. With a manual driver, keep it below the top of the post and use short strokes. Wear eye and ear protection and gloves the whole time.

Key points

  1. Augers can kick, twist, or wind up clothing in a second.
  2. Keep every tool in safe condition, yours or the company's.
  3. Exposed drive shafts, PTOs, belts, and chains must be guarded.
  4. Let the auger stop before you clear dirt off the flights.
  5. Nobody stands close to a machine auger while it turns.
  6. Keep a manual post driver below the top of the post.
  7. Wear eye and hearing protection around augers and drivers.

Do this

  • Check guards, handles, and the kill switch before starting.
  • Wear snug clothes and tuck in strings and long hair.
  • Brace for kickback and keep a wide stance.
  • Use short, controlled strokes with a manual driver.
  • Wear eye protection, ear protection, and gloves.

Do not do this

  • Do not reach into turning flights for any reason.
  • Do not stand close to steady a machine auger bit.
  • Do not run a two-man auger alone.
  • Do not lift a manual driver above the top of the post.
  • Do not run a PTO auger with the shaft guard missing.

Talk about it

  1. What hits roots or rock on this job, and how will we handle kickback?
  2. Who checks the auger and driver guards before we start?

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

Training aid only. This talk is not legal advice. It does not replace your company's safety program, a competent person, the equipment maker's instructions, or the OSHA standard itself.

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