Background

      On a clear, spring morning in the Southeast, a logging crew member was moving a small flatbed trailer across a public highway from one harvest block to another.

Personal Characteristics

      The logging crew member usually operated a skidder for a three-man logging operation. He was in his mid-30s and had more than 10 years of logging experience. His previous safety record is unknown.

Unsafe Act or Condition

      Work was nearly finished on one harvest block, and as the skidder operator had gotten ahead of his work, he took the initiative to load a delimbing gate and a culvert onto a small flatbed trailer and move them to another harvest block.

      The latter harvest block was located on the opposite side of a state highway, about 200 yards down the road. This stretch of road had good sight distance, but it was a busy travel route with a painted center line.

      Thinking he could move the trailer quickly across the road before many cars came, he decided to use the skidder’s grapple to pull the loaded trailer down the road for 200 yards and unload it on the other side. He did not have any ‘slow moving vehicle’ warning triangles on the skidder or the trailer. In addition, he had no electrical connection to the trailer tail lights, and there was no escort, flagman or other highway traffic control or warning system.

Accident

      There was no accident, but one nearly occurred. A car approaching behind the skidder and trailer realized they were moving very slowly, and the driver slowed down adequately. However, a second car following the first pulled into the left lane to pass the car, skidder and trailer. As the second car pulled into the left lane, the skidder began turning left in order to cross the highway. The driver of the second car jammed on the brakes and came to a complete stop, narrowly avoiding a collision with the skidder.

Injury

      No one was injured, and there was no damage, but it was a very close call. The second car probably was traveling at close to 55 mph (the posted speed limit) when the driver applied the brakes.

Recommendations

      • Never pull a trailer down a highway without a proper vehicle hook-up that includes working electrical connections to trailer tail lights. If traveling slowly, use emergency flashers. Ensure there is no traffic coming from either direction before making a turn.

      • Running logging equipment directly down a busy, public highway is asking for trouble. Do not compromise safety in order to save time.

      • It is not advisable to operate off-road machines on public roads. However, if you must do so for a short distance, secure all necessary permits and licenses (some states require a special ‘mobile equipment’ tag) and use lights, flags, slow-moving equipment triangles or similar measures to warn approaching vehicles. Use flaggers or escort vehicles.

(Source: Forest Resources Assn.)