A dump truck and front-end loader show a construction work zone.

Date Posted: 02/08/2024

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a backover incident occurs when a backing vehicle strikes a worker standing, walking, or kneeling behind the vehicle. These incidents can be prevented. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), backover and runover fatalities account for dozens of the fatalities that occur each year in the construction industry. These workers include construction workers injured by motorists and road workers injured by construction vehicles due to blind spots. At least one worker each month is killed by being backed over by a construction vehicle, typically a dump truck.

How do Backovers Occur?

A backover incident happens when a worker is struck by a backing vehicle. Backovers can be caused by various factors, including distracted employees or working in the vehicle’s blind spot, drivers who assume the path is clear, and faulty or inaudible backup alarms. Workers can also fall from a vehicle that backs over them as it continues moving. Despite the many causes, backovers are preventable with adequate planning, communication, and technology.

Construction vehicles that pose a risk for back-over incidents include pick-up trucks, workers’ private vehicles, dump trucks, ready-mix concrete trucks, tractor trailers, heavy equipment such as loaders, backhoes and bulldozers, aerial lifts, scissor lifts, cranes, and road grinding / paving equipment, among others. Backover incidents can occur in the following scenarios:

Drivers may not be able to see a worker in their blind spot.
Workers may not hear backup alarms because of occupational noises or dysfunctional alarms.
A spotter assisting one truck may not see another truck behind him.
Employees on motor vehicles may fall off and get backed over.
Drivers may believe that the area is clear, but it is not.

Vehicles Causing the Most Backover Fatalities
Dump Truck	35%
Semi/Tractor Trailer	21%
Truck	15%
Forklift	11%
Garbage Truck	10%
Pick-Up Truck	8%

What Can Be Done to Prevent Back Overs?

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), many solutions exist to prevent backover incidents. Drivers can use a spotter to help them back up their vehicles. Cameras with in-vehicle display monitors can give drivers a view of what is behind them. Proximity detection devices, such as radar and sonar, can alert drivers to objects behind them. Tag-based systems can inform drivers when other employees are behind the vehicle and alert employees when they walk near a vehicle equipped to communicate with the tag worn by the employee. Internal traffic control plans can guide drivers’ routes and reduce the need to back up. In some cases, internal traffic control plans can also separate employees on foot from operating equipment.

A construction work zone is shown with a group of workers gathered, all wearing high-visibility clothing.

Spotters

Spotters are a proven method for protecting employees on foot behind vehicles with obstructed views. Spotters are one of the most effective ways to reduce backover incidents, but you can’t afford to rely on an inexperienced or untrained spotter to keep your site free of backovers. You can keep spotters safe by following these tips:

Verify that your spotters and drivers have established hand signals before a vehicle is backed up.

Ensure your spotters maintain eye contact with the driver when the vehicle is in reverse.
Instruct drivers to hit the brakes when they cannot see the spotter.
Spotters shall have no other responsibilities while they are actively guiding vehicles.
Enforce a zero-tolerance policy for spotters using mobile phones, headphones, or other personal items that distract them from their job.
Outfit your spotters in high-visibility clothing, including ANSI class 2 garments/vests.

Cameras

Some newer models of equipment come equipped with rear-view cameras, and retrofit kits are on the market for installation in older vehicles. These cameras provide the operator/driver with the ability to see the blind spots and can reduce backover incidents.

Proximity Detection Systems

Proximity detection systems are another potential option. They use radar or ultrasonic waves to alert drivers to the presence of personnel or objects behind them. These systems emit signals that bounce off objects in the vicinity and return to a receiver in the vehicle. A sound or image warns the driver about something behind the vehicle that the driver may be unable to see on their own.

A tag-based system is also a proximity detection system that can help warn workers and drivers about backover hazards. Workers wear electronic sensing devices that send signals to equipment and vehicle drivers when workers are near or entering a danger zone. The system can also be programmed to warn workers when they need to put more distance between themselves and a vehicle or equipment.

Internal Traffic Control Plans (ITCP)

An internal traffic control plan (ITCP) is another method to address backover hazards. These are plans that project managers can use to coordinate the flow of moving equipment, workers, and vehicles at a worksite to minimize or eliminate vehicles and employees from crossing paths. These plans can significantly reduce or eliminate vehicles needing to back up on a site.