A quick hitch lets an excavator change its bucket or attachment in moments. HSE issued a safety alert on quick hitches in December 2007 after four deaths in 12 months. This guide sets out what HSE said, what it asks of anyone in control of the work, and where the NPORS N726 Quick Hitch Awareness category fits.
The short answer
HSE’s safety alert, issued on 17 December 2007, reported four deaths since December 2006. The common theme in all of them was a missing retaining pin or bar.1 HSE expects excavator operators to be trained on quick hitches in general and competent on the hitch fitted to their own machine. NPORS N726 covers the types of hitch, the operator’s responsibility for checking the attachment is locked on, and how a hitch changes the machine’s reach and safe working load.3
What a quick hitch is
HSE describes a quick hitch as a latching device that connects attachments to the dipper arm of an excavator so they can be changed quickly. It lets operators use one machine with a wider range of tools than buckets alone.1
Why HSE issued the alert
All four deaths in the 12 months before the alert involved semi-automatic quick hitches, and HSE notes earlier incidents with manual and automatic types too.1 HSE explains that the retaining pin holds the attachment in place against the hitch and guards against accidental release. It goes on:
‘A quick hitch may still operate for some time without the retaining pin in place and then suddenly, without warning will swing open or fall completely off.’
HSE safety alert on quick hitches, 17 December 20071
After the alert, HSE confirmed that European manufacturers had agreed to stop supplying semi-automatic quick hitches to the UK from 1 October 2008. HSE also said this does not make existing semi-automatic hitches illegal, and that used in line with the manufacturer’s instructions they can still be used safely.2
What HSE asks of those in control of the work
HSE says the precautions should come from a comprehensive risk assessment and should include the following.1
- Excavator operators are adequately trained on the use of quick hitches in general.
- Operators are competent to use the specific hitch on the machine they use.
- The retaining pin specified by the manufacturer is available on the machine.
- Operators use only pins designed for that specific use.
- There is a system for checking the pin is in place before work starts and every time a different attachment is fitted.
- Operators are told not to use the machine unless they are satisfied the hitch is secured. If poor weather stops them seeing it from the cab, they check it from the ground.
- Those in control of sites carry out random checks that the precautions are being followed.
HSE adds that replacing pins with large bolts, wire or other substitutes should be forbidden in all circumstances, and that safe systems of work should keep people from working below the bucket.1
Thorough examination
HSE’s alert says quick hitches used with excavators come under the thorough examination regime of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), carried out by a competent person:1
| How the hitch is fitted | What HSE’s alert says |
|---|---|
| Permanently on the machine | Thorough examination every 12 months, or at an interval set by the competent person |
| Not permanently attached | Classed as a lifting accessory and subject to checks every six months |
The law HSE points to
HSE’s alert lists the main legal requirements as:1
- the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
- the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulations 3 and 5
- the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, regulations 5, 6, 8 and 9
- the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, regulations 8 and 15
- the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998
Where N726 fits
N726 Quick Hitch Awareness is an NPORS category of its own. Its published learning outcomes cover three subjects:3
- the types of quick hitch
- the operator’s responsibility for checking the attachment is locked on
- how a hitch changes the machine’s reach and safe working load
HSE’s alert is addressed to users of excavators, so N726 is worth reading about alongside the excavator categories Ray tests: N202 360 Excavator and N016 Micro Excavator 360 up to 1 tonne.
Testing on your own site
Ray Walters is an NPORS assessor based in Northampton. He carries out NPORS tests on site, at the customer’s own premises and on the customer’s own machines, anywhere in the UK. More about the N726 Quick Hitch Awareness test.
Book an N726 test on your site
Call Ray on 07984 357997 or email ray@walterstraining.com.
Sources
- Health and Safety Executive, Industry guidance on quick hitches (HSE safety alert, 17 December 2007). hse.gov.uk
- Health and Safety Executive, Industry takes action on semi-automatic quick hitches from 1 October 2008. hse.gov.uk
- NPORS, learning outcomes for earthmoving machinery and transportation (N726), June 2019. npors.com
Sources checked on 25 September 2026.