Key Terms

Audible signal: Refers to a signal made by a distinct sound or series of sounds. Examples include, but are not limited to, sounds made by a bell, horn, or whistle.

Blind spot: The area around a vehicle or piece of construction equipment that is not visible to the operator, either by direct line of sight or indirectly by use of internal and external mirrors.

Competent person: Means one who can identify existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions that are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.

Emergency: Any occurrence or event, internal or external, to the permit space that could endanger entrants.

Equivalent: Any designs, materials, or methods to protect against a hazard that the employer can demonstrate will provide an equal or greater degree of safety for employees than the methods, materials, or designs specified in the standard.

Operational aids: Devices that assist the operator in the safe operation of a crane by providing information or automatically taking control of a crane function.

Operational controls: The levers, switches, pedals, and other devices for controlling equipment operation.

Operator: A person who is operating the equipment.

Proximity warning system: A system designed to reduce the risk of personnel and vehicle collisions, leading to improved site safety.

Qualified: One who possesses a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, or who by extensive knowledge, training, and experience has successfully demonstrated the ability to solve or resolve problems related to the subject matter, the work, or the project.

Quality Control Officer: An individual hired to ensure that the site safety standards are being met.

Safety Officer: An individual who ensures that construction workers are following established policies and safety regulations. Construction safety officers may take on additional roles and responsibilities, but their primary job is helping to create safer construction sites.

Unstable objects: Items whose strength, configuration, or lack of stability may allow them to become dislocated and shift, and therefore may not properly support the loads imposed on them. Unstable objects do not constitute a safe base support for scaffolds, platforms, or employees. Examples include, but are not limited to, barrels, boxes, loose brick, and concrete blocks.

Ramp: An inclined walking or working surface that is used to gain access to one point from another and is constructed from earth or from structural materials, such as steel or wood.

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