Struck By Dump Truck, Getting Run Over
Dump trucks have run over three times the amount of people compared to any other powered industrial truck or loader. This is commonly caused by:
- Poor visibility when reversing
- Careless driving
- Backing up without warning
The Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Industries found that over a 15-year period, over 800 workers died while using a dump truck. And over 300 of those deaths, were caused by being run over. To prevent the next number of deaths from being so large, all dump trucks should be given backup cameras, an alarm, or other methods to warn people in the trucks blind spot that the vehicle is reversing. There should always be a spotter when a dump tuck is backing up, to communicate to the driver whether their path is clear and safe.
Rollover, Tipping
A dump truck roll over is normally caused by uneven ground, an unbalance load, a load that was not loaded properly, or operator mistakes.
- Uneven ground – a truck only needs to be on a slightly uneven surface to be considered unstable. When hoisting the box, this will cause the weight to shift and the truck to rollover.
- Load is unbalanced or not loaded properly – sometimes the material in the truck gets caught in the upper portion of the box or to one side. Ideally the material will flow out easily, but if it is jammed in place, then the truck can tip over when the box is raised.
- Operator error – if an operator is careless when it comes to handling their truck, they may fail to check if the surface the truck is on is level, they may fail to check the material is reasonably level, or they might fail to check that the vehicles tailgate is unlocked.
It is important for all operators and drivers to wear a seatbelt, more often than not, it can save your life. It is also crucial to remember to always be careful and aware when operating a dump truck, do not skip any steps. It will always hurt, not help.
Hit by Falling Load
Death and injury caused by a falling load is often the result of someone being too close to the truck when it is being loaded or dumping the load. According to Texas’s Division of Workers Compensation, forty-one percent of dump truck related deaths involve workers that were on foot.
No matter who you are, if you are working at a construction site, you need to always be wearing PPE. It will protect you. Try to stay a safe distance away from a dump truck when it is dumping a load. And once again, a spotter should always be present to communicate with the driver whether they are clear to dump their load.
For more information, of if you have questions, please visit our Dump Truck Training. Good luck and stay safe.