| Step | Potential Hazard | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Assess work area | Traffic exposure, pedestrians, overhead utilities, uneven surfaces, unstable brush piles | Conduct initial site assessment; plan work zone; identify hazards like wires and soft shoulders; set cones or signage when roadside |
| Inspect grapple truck and equipment | Hydraulic leaks, damaged grapple arms, worn hoses, malfunctioning outriggers, faulty alarms | Perform full pre trip inspection; test grapple open and close functions; check boom rotation, outriggers, backup alarm, and beacons |
| Don required PPE | Eye injuries, struck by hazards, falling debris | Wear hard hat, safety glasses, gloves, steel toe boots, and high visibility vest |
| Position truck safely | Backing hazards, blind spots, contact with overhead lines or low branches | Use spotter; activate warning beacons; park on level ground; maintain minimum approach distance from utility lines |
| Deploy outriggers | Outriggers sinking, pinch points, truck instability | Verify ground conditions; use outrigger pads; deploy outriggers fully and evenly; keep crew clear of moving arms |
| Establish exclusion zone | Workers entering swing radius or drop zone | Mark boundaries using cones or tape; assign lookout; prohibit crew from standing beneath boom or grapple |
| Begin grapple operations | Falling limbs or debris, swinging grapple, load shifting | Operate boom slowly; keep grapple low when possible; never swing over personnel; maintain safe distance from brush pile |
| Handle brush piles | Rolling debris, hidden sharp objects, sudden pile collapse | Approach piles from stable ground; pull brush from top down; avoid placing hands near grapple jaws; watch footing |
| Load brush into truck body | Falling branches, overloading truck, brush striking cab | Use controlled movements; avoid overfilling; keep load balanced; secure large pieces carefully |
| Communicate with ground crew | Miscommunication causing struck by incidents or unsafe positioning | Use radios or clear hand signals; maintain eye contact with spotter; stop movement immediately if communication is lost |
| Manage traffic flow | Vehicles entering work zone, driver distraction | Use cones, signs, and flaggers if necessary; position truck as barrier between crew and traffic; maintain lookout |
| Transport loaded material | Load shifting, debris falling on roadway | Verify material is contained; use tarp if required; drive at safe speed; avoid sudden turns or stops |
| Unload brush at disposal site | Falling material, tipping hazards, backing into obstacles | Use designated dump area; employ spotter when backing; unload slowly; keep personnel away from drop zone |
| Shutdown and secure equipment | Boom movement, hose pressure, stored energy | Lower boom fully; retract outriggers; relieve hydraulic pressure; shut off engine; perform post operation inspection |
| Final cleanup | Remaining debris, trip hazards | Remove small branches manually; check roadway or shoulder for leftover material |
| Remove traffic control | Worker exposure to traffic | Remove cones and signs in reverse order; maintain lookout; keep PPE on until area is safe |
Hard hat
Safety glasses or face shield
High visibility vest or jacket
Steel toe boots
Cut resistant gloves
Hearing protection
Long pants and long sleeves
Always have a complete, well-stocked first aid kit available.
JSA Category: Heavy 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.
Thank you to our primary sponsor, Roadwurx, which is a simple asset management platform for small public works and road departments.
| Step | Potential Hazard | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Assess work area | Traffic exposure, pedestrians, overhead utilities, uneven surfaces, unstable brush piles | Conduct initial site assessment; plan work zone; identify hazards like wires and soft shoulders; set cones or signage when roadside |
| Inspect grapple truck and equipment | Hydraulic leaks, damaged grapple arms, worn hoses, malfunctioning outriggers, faulty alarms | Perform full pre trip inspection; test grapple open and close functions; check boom rotation, outriggers, backup alarm, and beacons |
| Don required PPE | Eye injuries, struck by hazards, falling debris | Wear hard hat, safety glasses, gloves, steel toe boots, and high visibility vest |
| Position truck safely | Backing hazards, blind spots, contact with overhead lines or low branches | Use spotter; activate warning beacons; park on level ground; maintain minimum approach distance from utility lines |
| Deploy outriggers | Outriggers sinking, pinch points, truck instability | Verify ground conditions; use outrigger pads; deploy outriggers fully and evenly; keep crew clear of moving arms |
| Establish exclusion zone | Workers entering swing radius or drop zone | Mark boundaries using cones or tape; assign lookout; prohibit crew from standing beneath boom or grapple |
| Begin grapple operations | Falling limbs or debris, swinging grapple, load shifting | Operate boom slowly; keep grapple low when possible; never swing over personnel; maintain safe distance from brush pile |
| Handle brush piles | Rolling debris, hidden sharp objects, sudden pile collapse | Approach piles from stable ground; pull brush from top down; avoid placing hands near grapple jaws; watch footing |
| Load brush into truck body | Falling branches, overloading truck, brush striking cab | Use controlled movements; avoid overfilling; keep load balanced; secure large pieces carefully |
| Communicate with ground crew | Miscommunication causing struck by incidents or unsafe positioning | Use radios or clear hand signals; maintain eye contact with spotter; stop movement immediately if communication is lost |
| Manage traffic flow | Vehicles entering work zone, driver distraction | Use cones, signs, and flaggers if necessary; position truck as barrier between crew and traffic; maintain lookout |
| Transport loaded material | Load shifting, debris falling on roadway | Verify material is contained; use tarp if required; drive at safe speed; avoid sudden turns or stops |
| Unload brush at disposal site | Falling material, tipping hazards, backing into obstacles | Use designated dump area; employ spotter when backing; unload slowly; keep personnel away from drop zone |
| Shutdown and secure equipment | Boom movement, hose pressure, stored energy | Lower boom fully; retract outriggers; relieve hydraulic pressure; shut off engine; perform post operation inspection |
| Final cleanup | Remaining debris, trip hazards | Remove small branches manually; check roadway or shoulder for leftover material |
| Remove traffic control | Worker exposure to traffic | Remove cones and signs in reverse order; maintain lookout; keep PPE on until area is safe |
Hard hat
Safety glasses or face shield
High visibility vest or jacket
Steel toe boots
Cut resistant gloves
Hearing protection
Long pants and long sleeves