ATVs increase maneuverability as well as risks

All-terrain vehicles are increasingly being used in workplaces. While they can be a valuable asset, they also present risks to workers driving or working around them.

The high center of gravity and relatively narrow wheelbase make them more prone to rollovers, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The agency has issued a guidance to keep workers safe.

Introduced in the early 1980s, there are more than 10 million ATVs in use, according to NIOSH. Construction, ranching and farming, small-scale forestry, and land management are among the industries using them.

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NIOSH suggests employers:

Encourage the use of personal protective equipment, and provide helmet and eye protection.
Identify, mark, and, where possible, eliminate hazards such as excavations, trenches, and guy wires so they are easily seen and avoided by workers on the jobsite.
Establish operating and maintenance policies that follow manufacturers' terrain guidelines, specified hauling and towing capacity, and passenger restrictions.
Provide access to hands-on training by an ATV Safety Institute instructor or a similarly qualified instructor.
Share responsibility with employees on safe practices.

Read more at the WorkersComp Forum homepage.

September 10, 2012

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