Blind Reversing With Pedestrians Nearby
A one-way haul loop crosses a pedestrian route used by about 40 workers to reach a canteen. At a blind corner, the radio in your 25-tonne dumper is not working and the banksman has gone to lunch. You need to reverse about 25 m into a confined tipping bay because the exit is blocked by a parked telehandler. Two pedestrians in high-visibility clothing are walking along the edge of the bay, one wearing ear defenders and looking at a phone. The site traffic management plan shows a pedestrian exclusion zone, but the painted line has faded. Your mirrors show the bay is partly obscured by a spoil heap. The supervisor is not on the radio. The site speed limit is 10 mph.
1. What must you do before reversing?
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Do not reverse blind. Stop, apply the parking brake and assess. Get a banksman or another competent person with a clear view; if the radio is faulty, agree hand signals or use a spotter with direct sight. Ask the two pedestrians to move outside the exclusion zone and confirm they have heard you. Sound the horn before moving. Clean the mirrors and use the camera if fitted. Reverse slowly, keeping the spotter in view; if you lose sight of the spotter, stop. The faded line does not remove the need to keep pedestrians out.
2. A pedestrian enters the bay behind you. What do you do?
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Stop immediately and keep the machine stationary with the parking brake on. Do not rev, edge forward or assume the pedestrian will move. The person with ear defenders and a phone may not hear or see you. Wait until they are clear and have acknowledged you or the banksman. If they do not, switch off and speak to them or ask the spotter to do so. Record it as a near miss.
3. What would you report and what changes should be made?
Read the worked answer
Report the faulty radio, the missing banksman at lunch, the faded exclusion line, the blocked exit by the telehandler and the blind corner. Recommend a physical barrier or temporary fencing for the pedestrian route, a working radio check at the start of shift, a relief banksman, a designated reversing area and a one-way flow. Ask for the telehandler to be moved and for the line to be repainted. A near-miss report should go to the site manager, not just the supervisor.