On an active construction site, mobile equipment rarely operates in isolation. Trucks back into position. Loaders move materials. Cranes lift overhead. Workers on foot move between tasks—sometimes only feet away from equipment weighing thousands of pounds.

That proximity makes mobile equipment safety a shared responsibility.

Recent data shows that one in four struck-by-vehicle deaths involves construction workers, while approximately 75% of struck-by fatalities involve heavy equipment such as trucks or cranes. The risk becomes particularly important when workers on foot enter areas where an equipment operator’s visibility is limited.

Preventing these incidents requires more than knowing how to operate a piece of equipment. It requires planning how equipment and people will move around one another, understanding blind spots and maintaining clear communication throughout each task.

“Mobile equipment safety really starts before the equipment moves,” said Todd Bernardoni, Risk Management Expertise Specialist at Amerisure.

“When operators and workers on foot understand the travel path, the blind spots and how they’re going to communicate, they can address those exposures before everyone is in motion.”

Build Mobile Safety Into the Plan

Developing, implementing and enforcing safety programs focused on struck-by hazards can help prevent injuries. Operators should be appropriately trained, not only to operate equipment safely, but also to understand the limitations and inherent hazards of working around nearby employees.

Workers on the ground need that same awareness. Training should address appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), situational awareness, equipment travel paths and the blind spots created by different types of vehicles and equipment.

Those blind areas can be significant. NIOSH defines blind areas as spaces of limited visibility around construction vehicles and equipment, noting that limited visibility contributes to struck-by incidents. Its equipment-specific diagrams show what an operator can see at ground level and at heights representing common objects and workers.

The goal is to make safe movement around mobile equipment part of the work itself, and not leave workers to react to hazards in the moment.

Workers on Foot: Stay Visible, Stay Connected

Workers on the ground share responsibility for maintaining mobile equipment safety.

1. Always wear high-visibility apparel.
2. Separate people and equipment where possible. During preconstruction planning and development of site-specific safety plans, consider designated mobile-equipment and pedestrian paths to reduce exposure.
3. Know the blind spots. Understand the unique blind areas of the equipment and vehicles operating nearby, and stay clear of those areas.
4. Stay clear of suspended loads and attachments.
5. Stay where the operator can see you. Position yourself so you can see the operator through the equipment’s windows or side/rear-view mirrors.
6. Communicate before approaching. Use established communication signals and verify that the operator sees you. Do not approach until the operator acknowledges you.
7. Know the travel path. Stay clear of equipment routes whenever possible and remain alert to equipment operating or backing in the area.

Creating physical distance between workers and equipment is one way to reduce that exposure. Federal guidance recommends physically separating pedestrian routes from heavy mobile equipment, providing enough space to safely turn and operate equipment, and designating loading and unloading zones to help keep uninvolved workers out of those areas.

“Never assume an operator sees you just because you can see the equipment,” Bernardoni said. “Know where the blind spots are, make sure communication has been established and get acknowledgment from the operator before you enter the equipment’s work area.”

Operators: Know What—and Who—Is Around You

For operators, that responsibility begins before the equipment moves.

• COMPLETE required training and qualifications for the equipment being operated.
• INSPECT equipment before the start of each shift.
• ADJUST mirrors and visibility aids before operation begins.
• CONFIRM workers are clear before starting or moving equipment.
• ACKNOWLEDGE workers who signal or alert you and allow safe passage.
• FOLLOW equipment-specific procedures for parking, securing and exiting equipment.

Keep People in View

Backup cameras and proximity alerts can help operators recognize hazards around their equipment, adding another layer of awareness on a busy jobsite. Using those tools effectively means understanding their limits. Operators should pair the information on a screen with direct observation and mirror checks to confirm that workers are clear of the travel path. During backing or other movements with limited visibility, spotters and established communication procedures can help operators account for what they cannot see.

OSHA’s backing safety guidance notes that camera placement affects what an operator can see and that large vehicles may need several cameras to cover blind areas. It also advises drivers to stop backing immediately if they lose sight of their spotter — a reminder that technology and communication work together to support safe movement.

Understanding what an operator cannot see is just as important as knowing what is directly in view. Construction-equipment visibility research found its blind-area diagrams could serve as a valuable training resource, helping drivers and road crews identify areas around equipment that may be outside an operator’s view.

For employers looking to make that training specific to the equipment on a particular jobsite, NIOSH also provides a method for mapping blind areas around an organization’s own equipment.

Loading and Unloading

Loading and unloading can create significant struck-by hazards. Operators may be focused on moving equipment or materials safely without damaging the load, while delivery drivers and ground workers move within the same work area.

Because crews may perform these tasks every day, the activity can begin to feel routine. Taking a few minutes to establish where people will stand, how the load will move and who is controlling the activity helps keep attention on the people working around the load as well as the materials being moved.

A formalized work process can help put that coordination into practice:

• Coordinate with delivery drivers. Ask drivers to wait to retrieve cargo-securement devices until materials have been unloaded.
• Establish safe positions. Make sure the equipment operator, delivery driver and other ground workers know where people should stand during loading and unloading—and remain in those designated areas.
• Control high-traffic areas. When necessary, position a worker safely outside the activity to monitor the area and help keep other employees clear, particularly when backing is involved.
• Create adequate clearance. The wider the load, the more distance may be necessary if materials shift, swing, fall or become snagged.
• Secure equipment before workers approach. Follow appropriate shutdown and parking procedures before a delivery driver begins securing equipment to a trailer.

Planning before the first load arrives can help bring greater order to an activity with multiple moving parts. NIOSH’s construction Prevention through Design guidance reinforces that approach, including establishing pedestrian routes away from primary vehicle routes and using internal traffic control plans to help separate construction traffic from pedestrians.

Make Every Movement Count

Mobile equipment will always bring movement to a jobsite. The opportunity is to make every movement deliberate. Clear traffic patterns, trained operators, visible workers and consistent communication can help crews anticipate one another’s movements.

That environment rarely stays the same for long. Work areas shift. New deliveries arrive. Crews change throughout a project. Maintaining safety requires the same attention and coordination later in the day as during the morning safety briefing.

“A jobsite can look very different at the end of a shift than it did at the beginning,” Bernardoni said. “That’s why situational awareness can’t be a one-time conversation. As the work changes, crews need to keep communicating, reassessing the exposure and making adjustments.”

Amerisure Risk Management Consultants work alongside policyholders to identify real-world jobsite exposures and develop practical strategies that help employees work safely around mobile equipment. Visit our Risk Management page to learn more about our expertise, resources and support.