Off-Road Vehicle Use
Off-road vehicles include tractors, earth movers, diggers or excavators, and All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs). Some off-road vehicles are recreational, others have definite industrial uses. Heavy duty industrial off-road vehicles are used in construction, agriculture, and mining. Cal-OSHA regulates the use of off-road vehicles for industrial use; however, it does not regulate recreational use. The most widely known vehicle specifically designed for off-road use is the ATV. While this is mostly a recreational vehicle, its concept has been adapted for occupational use such as in landscaping. As with any type of industrial vehicle being used in conjunction with pedestrian traffic, spotters and flaggers should be used as necessary to prevent incidents.
Off-road vehicles must be equipped with seat belts if there is the possibility of a rollover and they have been fitted with a roll bar (ROPS) system.
The Air Resources Board (ARB) developed a regulation specifically for regulating air emissions in off-road diesel vehicles. Off-road fleet owners are required to submit annual reports to the ARB on diesel use.
Depending on the use of an industrial off-road vehicle, there may be other regulations that apply including those for cranes and hoists, or specialized logging equipment.
To get more information on the applicability of this program for a specific County operation please contact the corresponding departmental Safety Coordinator.
For further information on specific regulatory guidelines please refer to the link(s) below:
Prime Movers and Machinery (Cal-OSHA General Industry)
Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Haulage Vehicles and Earthmoving Equipment (Cal-OSHA General Industry)
Haulage and Earthmoving (Cal-OSHA Construction)
Jobsite Vehicles (Cal-OSHA Construction)
Logging and Sawmill Safety Orders (Cal-OSHA)
Off-road Equipment (CA Air Resources Board)
Motor Vehicles (Fed-OSHA Construction)