Preventing Injuries When Working 

With Ride-On Roller/Compactors 

Summary 

Workerswhooperateorwork 

around roller/compactors are 

at risk of injury from a machine rollover or being struck 

by the machine or its components. NIOSH recommends 

that injuries and deaths be 

prevented through wider use 

of rollover protective structures (ROPS) and seat belts 

on roller/compactors, training, establishing and adhering to safety plans and safe 

work practices, and using appropriate personal protective 

equipment. 

Description of 

Exposure 

A National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 

review of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) data* 

identified 282 deaths associated with road grading and surfacing machinery during 1992– 

2001 [NIOSH 2004]. At least 70 

of these deaths involved roller/ 

*CFOI data provided to NIOSH exclude 

New York City. 

compactors. Review of these data 

narratives and of NIOSH Fatality 

Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) case studies suggests 

two common causes of injury: (1) 

machine rollovers and (2) being 

struck by the moving machine. 

Two cases are described below. 

FACE Case Study 1 

A female highway construction 

worker died after the roller she 

was operating slipped off the edge 

of the road surface, tipped on its 

side, and pinned her underneath. 

She had been working for a company that was subcontracted to 

construct a highway exit ramp. 

The worker’s job was to compact 

the dirt ramp in preparation for 

hard surfacing. The roller she used 

was new and equipped with a rollover protective structure (ROPS), 

but no seatbelt. The worker was 

operating the roller, with the 

Ride-on roller/compactor with ROPS and seat belt
Ê

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 
 

 

 

 

enclosed cab door open, back and forth over a builtup road bed. She backed up near the edge, and the 

earth under the rear tires gave way. When the roller tipped over the embankment, the unrestrained 

worker was partially thrown from the open door of 

the cab and pinned under the ROPS. Emergency 

rescue personnel were immediately called and arrived at the site within 15 minutes. The worker was 

pronounced dead at the site [NIOSH 1999]. 

FACE Case Study 2 

A male construction laborer died after being run 

over by a ride-on roller/compactor during a highway paving operation. A seven-person crew was 

paving two lanes of a four-lane highway. A worker was walking back and forth along the highway, 

checking the traffic cones positioned along the dotted lines at the center of the highway to ensure that 

they were standing upright and that the construction-zone warning signs remained standing. As the 

foreman of the crew operated the paving machine, 

the ride-on roller/compactor followed behind to 

compact the newly laid asphalt. The roller operator made a forward pass with the roller, stopped, 

and then reversed the machine. The machine had 

traveled approximately 10 feet when the operator sensed that something was wrong; at the same 

time, a passenger on the roller alerted the operator 

to stop the roller. The worker was discovered lying face down with his arms at his sides, his head 

crushed by the roller. Emergency rescue personnel were immediately called and arrived at the site 

within 15 minutes. The worker was pronounced 

dead at the site [NIOSH 1998]. 

Controls 

Employers, manufacturers, and rental establishments should take the following steps to protect 

workers from injury while working with ride-on 

roller/compactors. 

Site Set-Up 

 Develop site-specific safety plans for all aspects 

and stages of the job. Have plans analyzed by a 

qualified person to determine the safest possible 

methods to perform the work. 

 Minimize the presence of workers on foot near 

machinery. 

 Provide all workers on-site with training in sitespecific safety procedures and in hazards they 

may encounter at the site. 

 Use barriers to separate workers, pedestrians, 

and vehicles from moving equipment. 

 Continually evaluate safety plans to address 

changing conditions at the worksite. 

 Provide appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as high-visibility reflective 

vests and hard hats, and ensure that workers use 

and maintain them. 

 Use machinery equipped with ROPS and seatbelts, and ensure their use. Replace seatbelts if 

they are damaged, worn, or too small. 

 Contact equipment manufacturers or equipment dealers to determine whether approved 

retrofit ROPS and seatbelts are available for machinery without these safety features. 

 Ensure that machines are not operated on grades 

steeper than those specified by the manufacturer. 

 Establish a documented maintenance program 

for all machinery. 

 Replace worn or damaged warning labels on machinery. 

 Ensure that operators’ manuals are present on all 

machinery or available to the operator. 

 Make sure that all the manufacturers’ safety features are operational. 

 Ensure that all site workers comply with all applicable requirements of machine warning labels 

and operator manuals. 

Equipment Operator 

 Take training in safety procedures at the site and 

in the proper use of the equipment. Follow manufacturers’ specifications and recommendations. 

 Check work areas for workers on foot in the 

machine’s path before moving the machine or 

changing the direction of travel. Use spotters 
 

 

or barriers where necessary. Be aware of equipment blind spots. 

 Be aware of the hazards associated with operating machinery on non-level surfaces. A competent person should continuously evaluate grades 

on which machinery is being operated to prevent rollover. 

 Do not operate machinery without the ROPS 

and seat belts supplied by the manufacturer. Do 

not remove the ROPS or seatbelts. 

 Wear the seat belt and do not jump from the 

equipment in the event of a rollover. Keep knees 

and elbows close to the body, hold on firmly, 

and lean away from the impact to avoid being 

crushed by the ROPS. 

 Conduct daily or pre-shift visual and operational checks on all equipment systems and operating controls before working the machine. 

 Make sure that all the manufacturers’ safety features are operational. 

 Comply with all warning labels. 

Other Site Workers 

 Take training to recognize and avoid unsafe conditions and follow required safe work practices 

that apply to the work environment. 

 Be aware of the hazards and blind spots associated with working near moving equipment. 

 Before each work shift begins, review and confirm communications signals to be used between 

equipment operators and workers on foot. 

 Do not approach machinery without first signaling the operator to shut down the equipment 

and receiving acknowledgment from the operator. 

 Do not ride as a passenger on rollers or similar 

mobile equipment. 

 Wear PPE that is provided, such as high visibility 

reflective vests and hard hats, to increase visibility. 

Equipment Manufacturers 

 Ensure that ROPS and seatbelts installed on a 

ride-on roller/compactor meet specific Society 

of Automotive Engineers (SAE) minimum levels 

of performance [SAE 1994, SAE 1997]. 

 Consider equipping machinery such as rollers 

that must change direction frequently with sensors to detect the presence of persons in the machine’s path. This would provide site workers 

with an additional safety control. 

 Clearly identify and label all machine controls. 

 Consider providing multilingual warning labels 

and operator manuals. 

Equipment Rental Establishments 

 Include only ROPS- and seatbelt-equipped machines in your fleet selection. 

 Establish a documented preventive maintenance 

program for machinery. 

 Provide training for customers upon delivery. 

 Provide customers with machine-specific safety 

brochures. 

 Ensure that operators’ manuals are located on 

machines or are available to operators. 

Acknowledgments 

The principal contributor to this publication was 

Virgil J. Casini, FACE Senior Investigator, Fatality 

Investigations Team, NIOSH Division of Safety Research, Morgantown, WV. 

References 

NIOSH [1998]. Construction laborer dies after being run over by asphalt roller at highway construction site–Virginia. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health 

Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 

FACE 98–06. 

NIOSH [1999]. Female construction worker dies 

in a compactor tipover at a highway construction 

site—South Carolina. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public 

Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention, National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication 

No. FACE 99–03. 
NIOSH [2004]. Unpublished analysis of the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries: special research 

file provided to NIOSH by the Bureau of Labor 

Statistics. Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. 

SAE [1994]. ISO6683—Earth moving machinery—seatbelt and seatbelt anchorages. Troy, MI: 

Society of Automotive Engineers. 

SAE [1997]. J386—Operator restraint system for 

off-road work machines. Troy, MI: Society of Automotive Engineers. 

For More Information 

The information in this document is based on data, 

FACE reports, and expert review. More information about the NIOSH FACE program is available at 

www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/faceweb.html 

Additional safety information and recommendations 

for protecting roadway construction workers can be 

obtained from 

NIOSH [2001]. Building safer highway work zones: 

measures to prevent worker injuries from vehicles 

and equipment. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department 

of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001–128. 

To receive more information about occupational safety 

and health topics, contact NIOSH at 

NIOSH 

Publications Dissemination 

4676 Columbia Parkway 

Cincinnati, OH 45226–1998 

Telephone: 1–800–35–NIOSH (1–800–356–4674) 

Fax: 513–533–8573  E-mail: pubstaft@cdc.gov 

or visit the NIOSH Web site at www.cdc.gov/niosh 

For a monthly update on news at NIOSH, subscribe to 

NIOSH eNews by visiting www.cdc.gov/niosh/eNews. 

This document is in the public domain and may be 

freely copied or reprinted. NIOSH encourages all 

readers of the Workplace Solutions to make them 

available to all interested employers and workers. 

As part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NIOSH is the Federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations to prevent work-related illnesses and injuries. All Workplace 

Solutions are based on research studies that show how 

worker exposures to hazardous agents or activities can 

be significantly reduced. 

Preventing Injuries When Working with Ride-On 

Roller/Compactors 

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2005–101 

safer • healthier • peopletm November 2004 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health