In construction, rules exist for a reason. Tucker Paving has been operating in the construction industry for over 30 years, and we can assure you that there are no rules that exist for no reason. This includes the 50-foot rule; this is a rule that pertains to working around heavy equipment that is in operation. We provide services like site clearing, demo, excavation and grading, underground utilities, and concrete and asphalt paving, and we have a lot of pieces of heavy equipment on all of our jobsites all across Central Florida. The 50-foot rule is one that we require everyone on our worksites to abide by.
50-Foot Rule Explained
The 50-foot basically sets a perimeter of 50 feet around operating equipment and everything else. Basically, you first try to keep everything out of that 50-foot zone. If it’s necessary to work or move within that 50-foot zone, then safety precautions should be heightened.
This can include:
- Whenever possible, vehicles like work trucks and personal vehicles should have at least 50 feet of separation between the vehicles and running equipment.
- If it is ever necessary to back into a work-zone with people on the ground or other equipment nearby, then you should back the first 50 feet no faster than a walking pace.
- When working around equipment that is within 50 feet of you, face the equipment as much as possible.
- Maintain 50 feet of space between you and operating equipment when you are moving behind the equipment; this is especially a Track-hoe as the back is the operator’s blind spot.
Rules like the 50-foot rule help to keep everyone on a worksite site safe, and it’s rules like the 50-foot rule and others that have helped the Tucker Paving team have such a high level of success when it comes to safety.
One metric that shows this is our Experience Modification Rating (EMR or E-Mod). This is a formula used in insurance that compares a company’s safety records to the safety records of its industry peers. An EMR is calculated in order to set insurance rates, but it can also be used to quantify a company’s safety record.
A 1.0 EMR is the industry average and any EMR lower than 1.0 indicates a better-than-average safety record. Tucker Paving’s EMR is currently .62!
Safety is always our biggest concern at Tucker Paving. We have 30+ years of experience in the asphalt and concrete paving industry. We complete projects for residential, commercial, and municipal clients. Contact us by calling (863) 299-2262, or fill out our contact form online, and let us help you with your next project.