Bulldozers

Dozers push and grade huge amounts of material. Their size creates large blind spots, and working on slopes, edges and fill creates rollover risk.

• Construction

Main hazards

• Run-overs: a dozer’s blade, hood and ripper hide a large area in front of and behind the machine.
• Rollovers and slides: working side-hill, pushing over edges, and soft fill or wet clay.
• Pushing over the edge: dozers that push material over a bank or into a pit can follow it down if the edge gives way.
• Falling objects: trees, rocks and debris during clearing and demolition.
• Getting on and off: tall tracks and slippery grousers cause falls.
• Maintenance: crushing under a raised blade or ripper, and track tension systems under high pressure.

Pre-shift check

• Walk-around: people, leaks, damage, debris packed in the tracks
• Track tension and undercarriage in good shape
• Blade, ripper and cutting edges secure
• ROPS, cab guards and screens undamaged
• Seatbelt, horn, lights, backup alarm and brakes working
• Windows, mirrors and cameras clean

Operator rules

• Wear the seatbelt and keep the ROPS and cab guards intact.
• Work up and down slopes rather than across them, within the manufacturer’s limits.
• Watch for edges, soft fill, buried debris and voids.
• Keep the blade low when traveling, and lower it to the ground when parked.
• Know where ground workers and grade checkers are at all times. Use a backup alarm and cameras.
• When pushing material over an edge, leave a berm or windrow at the edge and push the last load with the next one, so the dozer never goes to the brink.
• Use the deceleration pedal and blade to control speed going downhill.
• Before leaving the seat: blade and ripper on the ground, transmission in neutral or park, parking brake on, engine off.

• Don’t jump off if the dozer starts to roll. Stay belted in the seat.
• Don’t let anyone ride on the dozer or stand on the tracks while it moves.
• Don’t work under a raised blade or ripper unless it’s blocked or lowered.
• Don’t loosen track tension by removing grease fittings. Follow the manual’s procedure; the grease is under very high pressure.

Ground workers

• Stay out of the dozer’s path and blind spots. Get the operator’s attention and wait for a signal before approaching.
• Don’t stand on the downhill side of a dozer working on a slope.

Last updated: October 1, 2026