OSHA has launched a new initiative aimed at raising awareness to prevent backover incidents on construction sites.

More than a quarter of backover incidents occur in construction, leading all industries, according to the workplace safety agency.

The #MirrorCheck initiative highlights effective solutions to minimize backover risks, including:

• Equipping heavy machinery with audio and visual alarms to improve worker awareness, especially in blind spots, and encourage caution when operating machinery around workers.
• Properly adjusting mirrors to minimize blind spots.
• Using spotters to maintain constant visual contact with drivers and establish hand signals to communicate effectively. Spotters should wear high-visibility clothing and have no other duties or distractions.
• Installing rearview cameras to enhance safety without blocking a driver’s view. For larger vehicles such as dump trucks, multiple cameras may be needed.
• Employing proximity detection systems, such as radar or ultrasonic technologies, that can be mounted on some vehicles.
• Developing internal traffic control plans to coordinate equipment, worker and vehicle movement.