During reversing, loading at height, and trailer/container work with restricted visibility, a spotter directs the driver with standardised hand signals. The signals and rules are based on the order on safety signs and other forms of signalling that implements EU Directive 92/58/EEC. Here are the signal system, role distribution, and rules for safe communication.
Introduction
Sometimes the driver cannot see whether the path is clear: a large load blocks the forward view, the load must be set down high out of sight, or the truck must be backed into a dark trailer or container. Then a helper — a spotter — directs the driver with agreed hand signals. It is an independent competence with its own legal basis.
Why drawing?
A guide can see exactly what the driver cannot see: the distance to a racking unit, the rise at a ramp, a person behind the truck, or the clearance in a container. Hand signals are typically used when reversing with obstructed visibility, when loading/unloading at height, when driving into trailers and containers, and in tight, unclear passages. The aim is that the driver never drives by guesswork.
Rules and authority
Hand signals for directing machines are not something the individual makes up. They are described in the Danish Work Environment Authority's regulation on safety signs and other forms of signalling which has an annex with the coded hand signals. The regulation implements EU Directive 92/58/EEC on minimum requirements for signalling in connection with safety and health at work. Using the standardised signals ensures that driver and signaller understand the same thing — even if they have not worked together before.
Basic rules for signalling
- 01One spotter at a time: only one person gives signals to the driver so there are no conflicting orders.
- 02Clear line of sight: driver and banksman must be able to see each other at all times. If the driver cannot see the banksman, the driver STOPS immediately.
- 03Agree on the meaning in advance: the signals are agreed (and practised) before work begins so both know them.
- 04Safe positioning: the director stands in a position with full overview — and NEVER in the truck's driving lane, in the pinch zone between truck and rack/wall or under a raised load.
- 05The director does only that one thing: the one directing must not at the same time do other work.
- 06Tvivl = stop: er føreren i tvivl om et signal, standses bevægelsen, indtil det er afklaret.
Members only
The rest of the article is locked
Create a free user account to unlock all articles, calculators, templates and range — and get access to quizzes and classes. It takes less than a minute: name, email and a password. No payment card.
Want to try something first? See what you can use without an account — the junior zone, the encyclopedia, the videos and more.