814 Heavy Equipment Safety

Signal Persons/Spotters

Spotters help guide drivers and prevent struck-by incidents, especially when equipment is backing, turning, or operating in tight spaces. However, spotters face significant risks because they work close to moving machinery. Employers must take steps to protect spotters and ensure spotting activities are performed safely.

Safety Measures to Protect Spotters

Employers can implement the following practices to reduce hazards and protect spotters from injury or death:

• Agree on hand signals. Spotters and drivers must establish clear, standardized hand signals before any backing, turning, or maneuvering begins. Both parties must understand the signals and their meaning.
• Maintain visual contact. Spotters must keep continuous visual contact with the driver at all times. If spotters cannot see the operator, they cannot guide equipment safely.
• Stop if contact is lost. Drivers must stop immediately if they lose sight of the spotter. No movement should occur until visual contact is reestablished and the spotter confirms it is safe to continue.
• Assign spotting as the only duty. Spotters must not perform other tasks while spotting. Multitasking increases the risk of distraction and reduces awareness of the equipment's movement.
• Avoid distractions. Spotters must not use personal mobile phones, headphones, or any device that reduces attention, hearing, or awareness of surroundings.
• Wear high-visibility clothing. Spotters must be provided with high-visibility garments that make them easy to see during both daytime and nighttime operations. Reflective materials are important when lighting is low.
• Stay in safe zones. Spotters must position themselves in predetermined safe locations that allow full visibility of equipment without placing them in the equipment’s blind spots or path of travel.
• Use radios when needed. Two-way radios or other communication devices may be used to improve clarity during noisy operations, but hand signals must remain the primary method when visibility is available.
• Review site conditions. Spotters and drivers must evaluate terrain, lighting, traffic flow, and equipment movement paths before starting operations to identify risks and plan safe movements.

Spotters play a critical role in preventing accidents, so proper training, communication, visibility, and attention to surroundings are essential. Employers must ensure spotting procedures are clearly defined and followed by all involved personnel.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.