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Vermont Worker Safety and ATVs

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Any safety tips about ATV use on the job in

Vermont?

Employers can take several steps to stop ATV deaths on the job. They include training operators, wearing safety gear, and being very careful about modifying the vehicles outside manufacturers’ guidelines.

All of the tips are important because the number of deaths by ATV accidents continue to climb. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a recent report that in a mere 24 years, the death toll had soared 15-fold, from 29 (in 1982) to 470 (in 2004). A tragic ATV mishap during the Labor Day weekend points out the dangers involved in operating an ATV.

Employee training is a key precaution. For example, standing up to try to rebalance a tipping ATV can be disastrous. If the all-terrain vehicle overturns while the driver is standing, serious head injuries can result.

ATVs have very little carrying space, so many employers will modify their ATVs to provide cargo bays or tanks for herbicides and liquid fertilizers. But modifying without heeding the manufacturers’ guidelines can throw off the balance, resulting in a tragic accident. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) warns that fatal accidents have occurred, and advises staying within the manufacturers’ guides.

Helmets and seatbelts are some of the safety items drivers should be equipped with.

And employers should prohibit passengers on ATVs. The vehicles are meant only for the drivers. Passengers add weight and destabilize the machine.

ATVs are deceptively safe-looking, with their four wheels and fat tires. They have a reputation as a kind of recreational “toy” that even a child can operate.

Keep in mind, however, that the rear axle pivots to increase maneuverability. That means the ATV actually balances on 3 points, unlike the family sedan with its 4 balance points. A 3-point balance means the ATV is unstable on hilly or uneven ground, the very environment it is frequently used in.

ATVs are increasingly used in outdoor industries in Vermont and nationwide. These include agriculture, landscaping, forestry and construction. JH