Accident to be avoided.
Hello.
What we need is an understanding for an emergency stop signal.
I was working as a driver in the Austin Texas area when a flatbed driver was getting cornered.
Another driver jumped on the flatbed and tried to signal a stop, nothing.
There was a binder tool on the flatbed so he threw this into the oncoming dozers door.
Only at this point did the operator stop, and he STILL wanted to move the machine!
That day only an operator was hurt, a bit of glass and no more.
The operator was a Mexican national not legally in the US, we found that bit out when the contractor called the police.
But language should not be an issue, the traffic stop sign is universal, even if you can not read it you know what it means.
The operator saw me and even made a gesture, so that was not the issue.
And it is getting worse, people are hiring off the street and putting them on the equipment, Texas has no requirements whatsoever for operator, the , number of accidents in Texas bare witness to this.
But, some minimum standard of training should be required, not just of operators but of everyone.
The CDL is the response to the troubles in the trucking industry, big brother at work.
We have things like the AGC that could help formulate training materials much like the ATA and JJ Keller do now.
And, speaking of Keller, I have seen most of the material they produce, good and to the point.
The last operator film I saw was "Shake hands with danger".
Do not get me wrong, I do NOT want to see more government regulations.
I want private industry to take the lead on this and make my jobsite a safer one for all, me the operator as well as everyone around me.
Rules of the road for construction if you will.