Does your workplace allow the use of all-terrain vehicles – or are you thinking of starting an ATV program?
“Never let your employees operate an ATV until you know they have been properly trained and can demonstrate how to operate it to do the jobs unique to your workplace,” Oregon OSHA cautions.
Here’s what the agency says you need to do to keep workers safe.
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Conduct a personal protective equipment hazard assessment. What do you need? Oregon OSHA recommends:
- A helmet with a chin strap that’s been approved by the Department of Transportation
- Safety goggles
- Over-the-ankle boots
- Off-road style gloves
- Any other PPE recommended by the ATV manufacturer
Train workers. This training should address:
- Pre-ride ATV inspections
- Necessary PPE
- The importance of buckling up
- How to maintain proper body position for stability
- The ATV’s limitations
- How to properly load, secure and unload materials
- Safe operating speeds
- Potential environmental hazards
- What to do if an emergency occurs
- How lone workers should check in
Operators should also be able to recognize the risks of operating the vehicle on technical terrain, Oregon OSHA says, including when loading or unloading the vehicle from pickup trucks with portable ramps.
