The Department of Labor and Industry’s Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) Program and the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board have adopted a final regulation for: Reverse Signal Operation Safety Requirements for Vehicles, Machinery and Equipment for General Industry and the Construction Industry, 16 VAC 25-97. The final regulation will take effect September 18, 2009, and the text of the final regulation, along with free downloadable training and information materials can be found on the Department’s Web site
(see: http://www.doli.virginia.gov).
The final regulation is also being published in the Virginia Register of Regulations on 8/17/09 http://legis.state.va.us/codecomm/register/issfiles.htm. Since 1992, Virginia has averaged two fatal accidents per year (4% of VOSH fatalities) involving reverse operation of construction and general industry vehicles, despite the presence of federal OSHA regulations to prevent such fatalities contained in 1926.601, Motor vehicles; 1926.602, Material Handling Equipment; 1926.952, Mechanical Equipment; and 1910.269, Electric power generation, transmission, and distribution. The purpose of the new regulation is to provide comprehensive protection to employees and employers exposed to reverse operation traffic of vehicles, machinery and equipment in construction and general industry work areas. Unless otherwise noted, all construction and general industry vehicles with an “obstructed view to the rear” are covered by the new regulation.