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Different Controls On Similar Equipment  Print

In British Columbia an experienced tractor operator was
constructing a road using a downhill bulldozing technique.
About two hours later, he was found out of the tractor at
the bottom of the slope. Also at the bottom of the slope
was the tractor, lying on its side. The operator had been
fatally crushed when the tractor traveled over him.

The evidence indicates that the operator was operating the tractor until the push arm that
supports the bulldozer blade at the front of the tractor detached itself from the frame. The
operator had to reattach the push arm before he could continue. Evidence also indicates
that the operator got out of the tractor's cab without setting the parking brake. Why?

The rental tractor that the operator drove on the day of the accident was different from the
tractor he usually drove. The control for the parking brake on the tractor that he usually
drove is a lever, positioned so that it partially obstructs the cab's doorway. The control for
the parking brake on the rental tractor was a mushroom-cap push rod, partially hidden
under the left-hand console. It was not located where the operator was used to finding the
control for the parking brake.

This accident for the British Columbia Worker's Compensation Board highlights a couple
things. We as humans get used to things and when controls change and we are not
accustomed to their position, we may forget or get in a hurry and just "skip it". If you've
ever had a rental car and picked it up on a rainy night, sometimes it can take forever to try
to find the headlights or the wiper controls . . . let alone try to figure out how to work the
radio.

We may have to utilize equipment different then what we are used to. It is that much more
important to take the time to learn the controls, learn how it moves, learn how it stops, and
take the time to ensure your safety.

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