Operating on Slopes & Unstable Ground

Most equipment rollovers happen on slopes, at the edges of excavations and embankments, or when ground gives way under a track or tire. Knowing your machine’s limits and reading the ground before you drive on it prevents them.

• Equipment operators
• Landscaping
• Site work

Know your limits

• Every machine has maximum slope limits in its manual, often different for going up, down and across. Know them.
• Limits assume firm ground and a properly loaded machine. Wet, loose or frozen ground lowers them.
• Attachments, loads and raised booms move the center of gravity and make tipping easier.

On slopes

• Travel straight up and down, not across. Crossing a slope sideways is the most common way to tip over.
• Keep the heavy end uphill. For many loaded skid steers, that means going up forward and backing down; empty, it may be the opposite. Follow the manual.
• Keep buckets and loads low while traveling.
• Don’t turn on a slope. Get to level ground first.
• Go slow, and avoid sudden stops or starts.
• Avoid obstacles like stumps, rocks and holes that can tip one side up.

Edges and soft ground

• Stay back from trench and excavation edges. Soil can collapse under the weight, and OSHA requires equipment and spoils to be kept back from the edge. See Excavation Access & Spoils.
• Watch for saturated soil after rain, fresh fill, frozen crusts over soft ground, and backfilled trenches.
• Watch for hidden voids: septic tanks, cisterns, culverts and old foundations.
• Use stop logs, berms or barricades at edges where equipment works or backs up, like dump points.

Walk it first

• Walk the work area before operating, looking for soft spots, holes and slopes
• Mark edges, drop-offs and buried tanks
• Plan travel routes that avoid crossing slopes
• Use a spotter near edges and in tight areas
• Seat belt on, ROPS in place

Last updated: October 2, 2026