USE A SPOTTER!

Click on the image to enlarge and view the various planes

The use of a spotter when vehicles and equipment are moving in tight quarters is a commonsense idea, RIGHT? Then why, in the construction industry, do we continue to record incidents where vehicles hit objects, other vehicles and people?

It is because spotters are not being used, drivers become complacent, no one was available to spot, or maybe it takes to much time to get a spotter. Pick a reason, they are all bad.

If you wish to illustrate why a spotter is a very important aid to a driver maneuvering in a construction site, take a look at this NIOSH report   CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT VISIBILLITY DIAGRAM . The following images show the areas that the driver of a GMC 7000 (28000 lb GVW) cannot see in gray. The yellow cross hatched cones are the areas the driver can see through the mirrors. Each diagram is in a different plane. There is a ground plane, a 900mm (3’) plane, and a 1500mm (5’) plane. Even with mirrors all diagrams have very large blind spots. The ground plane is especially troublesome and creates the largest blind spot.

The simple use of a spotter would save death, injury and expense. PLEASE USE A SPOTTER!