How to Keep Your Dump Man Safe on the Job
BY John Ball
The dump man controls the flow of material on the job, and that means he can be in a dangerous spot most of the time. To increase his safety, and to increase the efficiency of dumping trucks, you want to increase his visibility for both day and nighttime paving.
When the haul truck driver arrives on the job, he is supposed to know the internal traffic control plan (ITCP). He is supposed to know where he drives to, and where he begins his backing process to get to the paver’s hopper. He looks for the dump person to guide him the rest of the way in.
In this photo, Jessie Ruiz is decked out in all manner of personal protective equipment (PPE) that makes him hard to miss. He dumps trucks for Asphalt Paving Company in Denver. Let’s take a close look at some of the safety ideas you can put on your dump person.
At the top, letter A draws our attention to the hard hat with a strobe light.
Next, letter B reminds us to put a safety vest on the dump person. The safety vest should zip closed in the front or have Velcro fastening so there is a continuous safety-yellow block of color on the person’s chest and a continuous band of reflective tape, unbroken around the middle of the person.
Letter C draws our attention to the light stick Ruiz uses to signal the haul trucks. This red wand is similar to what airport personnel use to signal pilots as they taxi to and from the terminal. For Ruiz, this light stick helps guide backing trucks directly to the paver, and can signal when they need to stop abruptly for safety reasons, or continue backing for production.
We finish our tour of Ruiz’s safety gear near his feet with letter D, pointing out the safety gators that provide extra reflection for his legs. Some workers find the full reflective body suits too warm on hot summer days, and even hot summer nights. These safety gators provide more eye-catching reflection by the worker’s feet without adding the extra full layer of clothing.
John Ball is the proprietor of Top Quality Paving and Training, Manchester, New Hampshire. He provides personal, on-site paving consulting services around the United States and into Canada. For more information, contact him at (603) 493-1458 or tqpaving@yahoo.com.