DEPAR1MEN1 0F HEAL1H AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers fcr Disease Ccntrcl and Preventicn

Naticnal Institute fcr 0ccuaticnal Safety and Health
12-2000 |NISH 2002|. Ro-
viow ol thoso oata ano ol NISH
Iatality Assossnont ano Control
Lvaluation (IACL) casos |NISH
2000, 2001| suggosts two con-
non causos ol injury: (1) boing
struck by tho noving nachino,
swinging boons, or othor na-
chino conpononts, or (2) boing
struck by quick-oisconnoct ox-
cavator buckots that unoxpoct-
ooly ootach lron tho oxcavator
stick. thor loaoing causos ol la-
talitios aro rollovors, oloctrocu-
tions, ano slioos into tronchos al-
tor cavo-ins.
Case Study 1
A 2S-yoar-olo laboror oioo altor
ho was struck by tho buckot ol a
hyoraulic oxcavator. Tho victin, a
coworkor, ano tho oporator woro
using an oxcavator oquippoo with
a quick-oisconnoct buckot to loao
concroto nanholo soctions onto
a truck. Tho victin was on tho
grouno to connoct tho nanholo
soctions to tho oxcavator whilo
tho coworkor was on tho truck to
oisconnoct tho soctions altor thoy
hao boon loaooo on tho truck.
Tho oporator hao positionoo tho
oxcavator buckot noar a nanholo
soction whilo tho victin attachoo
a throo-loggoo briolo to tho nan-
holo soction lor lilting. Tho buck-
ot oisconnoctoo lron tho oxcava-
tor stick (Iiguro 1) ano struck tho
victin. Ho was pronouncoo ooao
at tho scono |NISH 2001|.
Case Study 2
A 32-yoar-olo construction la-
boror oioo altor boing struck in
tho hoao by a backhoo buckot.
Tho victin was part ol a two-
nan crow cloaring oarth away
lron tho lounoation looting ol
Preventing Injuries When Wcrking
with Hydraulic Excavatcrs and
ackhce Lcaders
Summary
Workors who oporato or
work noar hyoraulic oxca-
vators ano backhoo loao-
ors aro at risk ol boing
struck by tho nachino or
its conpononts or by oxca-
vator buckots that ootach
lron tho oxcavator stick.
NISH roconnonos that
injurios ano ooaths bo pro-
vontoo through training,
propor installation ano
naintonanco, work practic-
os, ano porsonal protoctivo
oquipnont.
Descriticn cf
Excsure
A National Instituto lor c-
cupational Saloty ano Hoalth
(NISH) roviow ol tho Buroau
ol Labor Statistics (BLS) Con-
sus ol Iatal ccupational Inju-
rios (CII) oata ioontiloo 346
ooaths associatoo with oxcava-
tors or backhoo loaoors ouring
a houso. Tho backhoo oporator bogan oigging an
approxinatoly 2-lt-wioo by 2-lt-ooop oxcavation
arouno tho lounoation whilo tho victin usoo a hano
shovol to ronovo oxtra oarth altor tho backhoo hao
passoo through. Tho anount ol looting protruoing
was oocroasing. Tho oporator loworoo tho back-
hoo`s buckot to rost on a pilo ol oarth approxinato-
ly S lt lron tho victin, ho thon oisnountoo lron
tho backhoo to inspoct tho tronch. Whon tho op-
orator roturnoo to tho nachino ano stoppoo ovor
tho tiro to sit oown, ho inaovortontly contactoo tho
boon swing control, swinging tho boon towaro tho
victin stanoing in tho tronch. Tho boon struck tho
victin, pinning hin against tho houso. Ho was pro-
nouncoo ooao at tho scono |NISH 2000|.
Ccntrcls
Lnployors shoulo tako tho lollowing stops to pro-
toct workors lron injury whilo working with oxca-
vators or backhoo loaoors.
Site Set-U
Contact local utilitios ano othor rosponsiblo par-
tios to locato ovorhoao ano unoorgrouno utility
linos boloro boginning work. Avoio working noar
ovorhoao powor linos. Il you nust work noar
thon, oovolop a plan to avoio contact ano to lol-
low SHA rogulations lor nininun cloaranco
|2 CIR* 126.550(a)(15)|.
*
Code of |ederul RegulutIon. Soo CIR in roloronco.
Lo not pornit hyoraulic oxcavators or backhoos
to bo oporatoo on graoos stoopor than thoso
spociloo by tho nanulacturor.
Mako suro that workors position nachinory at a
salo oistanco lron oxcavations such as tronchos.
Equiment 0eratcrs
Train oquipnont oporators in tho propor uso ol
tho oquipnont thoy aro assignoo to oporato. Bo
suro to lollow nanulacturors` spocilcations ano
roconnonoations.
Continually ovaluato saloty prograns to aooross
changing conoitions at tho worksito.
Cloarly ioontily ano labol all nachino controls
ano nako suro that tho nanulacturors` saloty
loaturos aro working.
Install ano naintain oquipnont attachnonts ano
thoir oporating systons accoroing to nanulac-
turors` spocilcations.
Socuroly latch attachnonts (such as quick-
oisconnoct buckots) boloro work bogins.
Iollow tho nanulacturor`s instructions lor using
positivo locks on quick-oisconnoct oquipnont.
Train oporators to conouct visual ano oporation-
al chocks on all nachino systons ano oporating
controls boloro working tho nachino.
Mako lroquont visual inspoctions ol quick-
oisconnoct systons-ospocially altor changing
attachnonts.
\so tho RIS ano soat bolts supplioo by tho
nanulacturor. Lo not ronovo tho RIS.
Lo not oxcooo loao capacitios whon lilting na-
torials.
Instruct oporators to lowor tho boon to a salo
position with tho buckot on tho grouno ano turn
oll tho nachino boloro stopping oll lor any roa-
son.
Figure 1. Quick-disconnect excavator bucket that de-
tached Irom the excavator stick.
0ther Site Wcrkers
Train sito workors to rocognizo ano avoio un-
salo conoitions ano to lollow roquiroo salo
work practicos that apply to thoir work onviron-
nonts.
Mako all workors on tho sito awaro ol tho na-
chinos` ostablishoo swing aroas ano blino spots
boloro tho oporator works tho nachino. Koop
workors on loot outsioo thoso aroas by narking
thon with ropo, tapo, or othor barriors.
Boloro oach work shilt bogins, roviow ano con-
lrn connunications signals botwoon nachino
oporators ano workors on loot.
Instruct nachino oporators to koop tho buckot
as closo to tho grouno as possiblo whon workors
aro attaching loaos lor hoisting.
Koop workors outsioo tho hyoraulic oxcavator
swing aroas ano cloar ol attachnonts whon us-
ing tho nachinos lor hoisting natorials. Lo not
allow workors to stano unoor susponooo loaos
or susponooo nachino conpononts such as tho
boon, arn, or buckot.
Lo not pornit workors on loot to approach tho
hyoraulic oxcavator or backhoo loaoor until thoy
signal tho oporator to shut oown tho nachino
ano rocoivo acknowloognont lron tho opora-
tor.
\so spottors or signal porsons arouno oporating
oquipnont whon nocossary.
Novor pornit workors to rioo in or work lron
oxcavator or backhoo loaoor buckots.
Irovioo appropriato porsonal protoctivo oquip-
nont ano nako suro that workors uso ano nain-
tain it.
Ackncwledgments
Tho principal contributors to this publication woro
Virgil J. Casini ano Iaul H. Mooro, NISH Livision
ol Saloty Rosoarch, Morgantown, WV.
References
CIR. Cooo ol Ioooral rogulations. Washington,
LC: \.S. Govornnont Irinting llco, llco ol
tho Ioooral Rogistor.
NISH |2000|. Construction laboror oios altor bo-
ing struck in tho hoao by backhoo buckot-North
Carolina. Cincinnati, H: \.S. Lopartnont ol
Hoalth ano Hunan Sorvicos, Iublic Hoalth Sorvico,
Contors lor Lisoaso Control ano Irovontion, Na-
tional Instituto lor ccupational Saloty ano Hoalth,
LHHS (NISH) Iublication No. IACL 2000-26.
NISH |2001|. Twonty-oight-yoar-olo laboror oios
altor boing struck by oxcavator buckot-North Car-
olina. Cincinnati, H: \.S. Lopartnont ol Hoalth
ano Hunan Sorvicos, Iublic Hoalth Sorvico, Con-
tors lor Lisoaso Control ano Irovontion, Nation-
al Instituto lor ccupational Saloty ano Hoalth,
LHHS (NISH) Iublication No. IACL 2001-0.
NISH |2002| \npublishoo roviow ol tho Con-
sus ol Iatal ccupational Injurios. Morgantown,
WV: \.S. Lopartnont ol Hoalth ano Hunan Sor-
vicos, Contors lor Lisoaso Control ano Irovontion,
National Instituto lor ccupational Saloty ano
Hoalth.
3!&%2s(%!,4()%2s0%/0,%
4(
Tho inlornation in this oocunont is basoo on oata,
IACL roports, ano oxport roviow. Moro inlorna-
tion about tho NISH IACL progran is availablo at
www.coc.gov/niosh/laco/lacowob.htnl
To rocoivo noro inlornation about occupational saloty
ano hoalth topics, contact NISH at
NISH
Iublications Lissonination
466 Colunbia Iarkway
Cincinnati, H 45226-1S
Telephone: 1-S00-35-NISH (1-S00-356-464)
Iax: 513-533-S53 E-mail: pubstalt_coc.gov
or visit tho NISH Wob sito at www.cdc.gov/niosh
Ior a nonthly upoato on nows at NISH, subscribo to
N|OSH eNeus by visiting uuu.cdc.gov/nIosh/eNeus
This oocunont is in tho public oonain ano nay bo
lrooly copioo or roprintoo. NISH oncouragos all
roaoors ol tho Workplaco Solutions to nako thon
availablo to all intorostoo onployors ano workors.
As part ol tho Contors lor Lisoaso Control ano Irovon-
tion, NISH is tho Ioooral agoncy rosponsiblo lor con-
oucting rosoarch ano naking roconnonoations to pro-
vont work-rolatoo illnossos ano injurios. All Workplaco
Solutions aro basoo on rosoarch stuoios that show how
workor oxposuros to hazaroous agonts or activitios can
bo signilcantly rooucoo.
DHHS (NI0SH) Publicaticn Nc. 2004-107
Preventing Injuries When Wcrking with
Hydraulic Excavatcrs and ackhce Lcaders
Fcr Mcre Infcrmaticn
Ncvember 2003
DEPAR1MEN1 0F HEAL1H AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers Ior isease Control and Prevention
National Institute Ior Cccupational SaIety and Health
4676 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, CH 4S226~1998