Administrative Controls

Administrative controls help prevent construction backover. Administrative controls include the following:

• Equip all vehicles with an adequate audible warning device at the operator's station.
• Never operate machinery when there is an obstructed rearview, except in certain scenarios, such as when:
  • The vehicle has a reverse signal alarm audible above the surrounding noise level.
  • The vehicle is backed up only when an observer signals that it is safe to do so.
• Equip vehicles with windshields and powered wipers. Cracked and broken glass must be replaced. Vehicles operating in areas or under conditions that cause fogging or frosting of the windshields should have operable defogging or defrosting devices.
• Secure tools and materials to prevent movement when transported in the same compartment with employees. The seats in vehicles used to transport employees must be secure and adequate for the number of employees to be carried.
• Check all vehicles in use at the beginning of each shift to ensure that the following parts, equipment, and accessories are in safe operating condition and free of apparent damage that could cause failure while in use:
  • Service brakes, including trailer brake connections
  • Parking system, such as a hand brake
  • Emergency stopping system
  • Tires
  • Horn
  • Steering mechanism
  • Coupling devices
  • Seat belts
  • Operating controls
  • Safety devices
• Any defect must be fixed before a vehicle is placed in service, including devices such as:
  • Lights
  • Reflectors
  • Windshield wipers
  • Defrosters
  • Fire extinguishers

Beyond maintaining safe parameters for the construction equipment, construction zones can also benefit from administrative controls, as follows:

• Use temporary traffic barriers along the work space to enhance safety. Take into consideration factors such as:
  • Lateral clearance of workers from adjacent traffic
  • Speed of traffic
  • Duration and type of operations
  • Time of day
  • Volume of traffic
• Reduce the speed of vehicular traffic through a variety of means, such as:
  • Regulatory speed zoning
  • Funneling
  • Lane reduction
  • Use of uniformed law enforcement officers or flaggers
• Use an ITCP to plan the internal work activity area to minimize backing-up maneuvers of construction vehicles and exposure to risk.

To learn more about Backover Safety visit our Construction Backover Safety Online Training web page.