Employee Safety

Plow safety

By Colter Bame, District 1 Employee Safety Representative

Recently, an employee was injured while connecting a vertical lift plow. When connecting the hydraulic blocks, the plow hitch came down, striking the employee on the foot. It was determined that a contributing factor was that the plow float had been turned on, causing the plow hitch to lower once the hydraulics were connected. To avoid this, ensure the plow float is off before connecting the hydraulic fittings.

The individual who suffered the injury was not wearing the proper footwear for the job. They were wearing sneakers that did not have safety toe protection.

It is highly recommended that two people are present when connecting or disconnecting these plows.

Connecting the Plow

Steps to safely connect a plow with two people:

1. Person one drive to the plow, centering the hitch on the truck with the plow hitch. Person two is outside the truck acting as a ground guide.

2. Ensure that the power float is off by verifying that the “power float active” message on the Force screen is not active.

3. Have person two connect the hydraulic block from the driver’s side and ensuring they can be seen by the person one in the cab at all times.

4. Person two steps back and out of the way while person one in the driver’s seat pulls the joystick on the Force controls toward them, lowering the v-shaped tabs on the plow into the v-notches in the hitch of the truck.

5. Once the tabs are fully seated, the person one lifts the plow slightly, then releases the controls.

6. Person two pulls the lever towards the driver’s side to lock the horizontal pins into the plow. Then flips down and pins the additional safety latch behind the lever on the outside of the truck.

7. Person two again steps back while person two lifts the plow off of the ground far enough to pick the plow legs off of the ground.

8. Person two unpins and lifts the legs on the plow all the way up, then turns the feet towards the inside and pins the legs in place.

Disconnecting the Plow

Steps to safely disconnect a plow. When disconnecting the plow, it should be done on a flat, firm surface, away from obstacles.

1. With person two as a ground guide, square the plow to the truck, so that it is easier and safer to connect it to the truck later, then lower the moldboard to the ground.

2. Have person two unpin and lower the legs of the plow, facing the feet toward the truck. Person one, in the cab, slightly lifts the plow to release pressure on the horizontal pins.

3. Person two, from the driver’s side, unlatches the safety latch, then slides the lever for the pins toward the passenger side, releasing the pins from the plow.

4. Having person two step back and out of the way, person one pushes the joystick forward while holding the power float switch in the ‘off’ position to lift the hitch of the plow off of the truck. Note: To ensure that the float stays off, the joystick should be released back to the neutral position before releasing the power float rocker switch.

5. Person two disconnects the hydraulic block from the driver’s side, places the covers on both halves, and steps back out of the way before person one backs away from the plow.

Connecting plow attachments must be included in a Job Safety Analysis as required in PER 19-14. The use of proper footwear must also be addressed in this JSA. This Safety Flash would be a good safety briefing (PER 19-16) to conduct with crews that operate these systems.