| Step | Potential Hazard | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Assess work area | Traffic exposure, pedestrians, parked vehicles, uneven road edges | Conduct site assessment; plan approach; set cones or signage if operating near live traffic; assign a lookout |
| Inspect vacuum truck and equipment | Damaged hoses, loose clamps, clogged impeller, faulty lights, hydraulic leaks | Perform pre trip inspection; check suction hose, boom, debris body, backup alarm, beacons, and controls |
| Don required PPE | Eye injuries, dust exposure, hearing damage | Wear safety glasses or face shield, gloves, hearing protection, and high visibility vest |
| Position truck for loading | Backing hazards, blind spots, truck near traffic lane | Use a spotter when backing; activate beacons; position truck as far off roadway as safely possible; avoid soft shoulders |
| Deploy vacuum hose or boom | Pinch points, hose swing striking crew, hydraulic drift | Keep crew clear of hose movement; operate boom slowly; secure hoses properly before starting vacuum |
| Begin vacuuming leaves | Flying debris, clogging hazards, pulling in foreign objects | Maintain safe distance between hose operator and suction intake; avoid vacuuming sticks, trash, or stones; monitor hose for clogging |
| Maintain communication between operator and driver | Miscommunication causing unexpected truck movement | Use radios or agreed upon hand signals; driver must not move truck unless cleared by hose operator |
| Manage pedestrian and traffic interactions | Pedestrians approaching hose, vehicles drifting toward crew | Assign lookout to monitor surroundings; adjust cones as work progresses; pause operations if pedestrians enter work area |
| Monitor debris body fill level | Overfilling hopper, material blowout | Watch fill indicators; shut down vacuum and dump debris before body becomes overloaded |
| Dump collected material | Falling debris, tipping hazards, backing into obstacles | Use designated dump site; use spotter when backing; raise body slowly; ensure no personnel are near dump area |
| Clear hose clogs | Contact with impeller, unexpected restart, flying debris | Shut down engine; lock out controls; disconnect hose carefully; use tools rather than hands to remove clogs |
| Shutdown and secure equipment | Hose movement, hydraulic pressure release | Lower boom; stow hose properly; shut off engine; release hydraulic pressure; perform post operation walk around |
| Clean up work area | Leaves remaining on roadway, slip hazards | Remove remaining piles manually if needed; ensure no debris enters storm drains |
| Remove any traffic control | Worker exposure to passing vehicles | Remove cones and signage only after truck is parked safely and all crew are out of roadway; maintain lookout |
Hard hat
Safety glasses or face shield
High visibility vest or jacket
Hearing protection
Steel toe boots
Cut resistant gloves
Long pants and long sleeves
Respiratory protection if working in dusty conditions
Always have a complete, well-stocked first aid kit available.
JSA Category: Equipment Operations
* The steps, hazards, and controls displayed above may be incomplete or not suit your department's needs. All job safety analyses should be a completed with frontline worker input to ensure that each potential hazard is identified and mitigated.
Please read about The Essentials Elements of a Solid Job Safety Anaylsis here.
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| Step | Potential Hazard | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Assess work area | Traffic exposure, pedestrians, parked vehicles, uneven road edges | Conduct site assessment; plan approach; set cones or signage if operating near live traffic; assign a lookout |
| Inspect vacuum truck and equipment | Damaged hoses, loose clamps, clogged impeller, faulty lights, hydraulic leaks | Perform pre trip inspection; check suction hose, boom, debris body, backup alarm, beacons, and controls |
| Don required PPE | Eye injuries, dust exposure, hearing damage | Wear safety glasses or face shield, gloves, hearing protection, and high visibility vest |
| Position truck for loading | Backing hazards, blind spots, truck near traffic lane | Use a spotter when backing; activate beacons; position truck as far off roadway as safely possible; avoid soft shoulders |
| Deploy vacuum hose or boom | Pinch points, hose swing striking crew, hydraulic drift | Keep crew clear of hose movement; operate boom slowly; secure hoses properly before starting vacuum |
| Begin vacuuming leaves | Flying debris, clogging hazards, pulling in foreign objects | Maintain safe distance between hose operator and suction intake; avoid vacuuming sticks, trash, or stones; monitor hose for clogging |
| Maintain communication between operator and driver | Miscommunication causing unexpected truck movement | Use radios or agreed upon hand signals; driver must not move truck unless cleared by hose operator |
| Manage pedestrian and traffic interactions | Pedestrians approaching hose, vehicles drifting toward crew | Assign lookout to monitor surroundings; adjust cones as work progresses; pause operations if pedestrians enter work area |
| Monitor debris body fill level | Overfilling hopper, material blowout | Watch fill indicators; shut down vacuum and dump debris before body becomes overloaded |
| Dump collected material | Falling debris, tipping hazards, backing into obstacles | Use designated dump site; use spotter when backing; raise body slowly; ensure no personnel are near dump area |
| Clear hose clogs | Contact with impeller, unexpected restart, flying debris | Shut down engine; lock out controls; disconnect hose carefully; use tools rather than hands to remove clogs |
| Shutdown and secure equipment | Hose movement, hydraulic pressure release | Lower boom; stow hose properly; shut off engine; release hydraulic pressure; perform post operation walk around |
| Clean up work area | Leaves remaining on roadway, slip hazards | Remove remaining piles manually if needed; ensure no debris enters storm drains |
| Remove any traffic control | Worker exposure to passing vehicles | Remove cones and signage only after truck is parked safely and all crew are out of roadway; maintain lookout |
Hard hat
Safety glasses or face shield
High visibility vest or jacket
Hearing protection
Steel toe boots
Cut resistant gloves
Long pants and long sleeves
Respiratory protection if working in dusty conditions