OSHA held its first of several informal stakeholder meetings Jan. 8 to provide employers, workers, safety professionals and equipment manufacturers with an opportunity to inform OSHA about how workers are injured and killed by vehicle backovers and what can be done to prevent these incidents.

Two dozen representatives from industry and worker groups attended the Jan. 8 meeting in Washington, D.C. The discussion focused on the effectiveness of technology, training, best practices and other methods to protect workers from harm.

OSHA will hold three more informal meetings Feb. 5 in Arlington, Texas. Those interested in participating must register electronically, by fax or mail. Details are in the Dec. 17, 2012 Federal Register notice. Following the conclusion of the meetings, OSHA will post a summary of comments on its website.

In 2011, 79 workers were killed on the job when backing vehicles or mobile equipment crushed them against an object or backed over them, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More information on backover hazards, including a prevention video, is on OSHA's Preventing Backovers webpage.