In a study of seven years of road construction site accidents conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the largest cause of fatal accidents involved a worker on the ground being struck by a vehicle or equipment.

Since cleaning contractors often work in streets amid work vehicles and regular traffic, some lessons from the NIOSH study apply. In looking at ways to reduce the incidence of ground workers being struck, researchers created blind-area diagrams.

These diagrams can be used to educate both operators and ground workers and help reduce accidents and injuries in work zones.

As its name implies, a blind-area diagram is a picture that delineates areas around a vehicle that can’t be seen from the operator’s position. Diagrams are developed by using a light source to represent the operator’s eyes. The shadows created by objects associated with the vehicle, like doorposts and mufflers, represent the blind areas.

NIOSH created blind-area diagrams for 38 pieces of construction equipment – visit www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/highwayworkzones/BAD/imagelookup.html. You can download the diagrams as visual aids for showing the hazards of working around equipment to crews in classroom sessions or in “tailgate talks” held in the field.

Studying these diagrams can help owners and supervisors understand the main obstructions that create blind areas.