My specialty is designing for safety. Dead man control, inadvertent actuation of control, and audible alert issues have come up in a number of cases in which I have worked, including excavators, lift trucks, aerial work platforms, and farm equipment. I have not worked specifically on a bulldozer control design issue, although most of these vehicles have very similar control structures. This is a serious case. There are current dozer designs with dead man controls. No construction equipment should allow the operator run the travel controls without being in the approved operator position, especially when the dozer tracks are the support surface when getting in or out of the equipment. The need for there to be no chance that the track can move while you’re standing nearby with no one in the operating seat is absolutely crucial. I do know from experience that there are a lot of similarities between these types of equipment. This accident is not uncommon.
Expert Bio
This engineering expert performs consulting services specializing in mechanical engineering safety. He specializes in design, safety analysis, and testing of machinery, mechanical components, consumer, and industrial products. He earned his Masters Degree majoring in Design/Manufacturing of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He has worked in engineering and design, most notably on lift trucks, for more than 30 years and is currently the Principal o fan Engineering and Safety Consulting Firm.
