Two tips for safe operation of a bulldozer
A bulldozer is an extremely powerful piece of heavy construction equipment. Because of this, those involved in bulldozing operations must take certain precautions to avoid being injured. Here are two safety tips for anyone who has been tasked with using this equipment.
Be careful about which direction loads are pushed in
The loads that are pushed during a bulldozing operation often weigh several tonnes. As such, it is important for the person operating the bulldozer to ensure that the load they are moving is not pushed in the direction of any standing structures (such as trees, buildings or power lines).
If they accidentally push the load towards one of these structures, the impact of the load materials striking it could result in the structure collapsing and falling forward, onto the cab of the bulldozer. This could crush the operator inside the cab or (in the case of a power line) result in them being electrocuted.
Even if the structure topples backwards (that is, in the opposite direction of the bulldozer), it could still fall on top of nearby construction workers and leave them with serious injuries, or strike the roof of a passing vehicle.
Assign at least one person to manage the bulldozing operation from the ground
Even a fully-trained and highly-skilled bulldozer operator can make dangerous mistakes if they do not have people present on the ground nearby to guide them through a bulldozing operation.
The reason for this is that when a person is seated inside the cab of a bulldozer, their vision of their surrounding environment is partially obstructed by the equipment's bulky components (such as the blade and the lifting cylinders).
As such, without the assistance of people on the ground, there is a strong chance that they could accidentally run someone over or drive into a trench on the construction site.
Because of this, a bulldozing operation should only be performed if there is at least one person available to act as a second pair of eyes at ground-level.
Ideally, this person should have a megaphone, to ensure that the operator can hear what the person is saying at all times (bulldozers can be extremely loud and most operators of this equipment need to wear ear muffs to protect their ears).
This individual should also use their hands to communicate so that the operator can still understand them and follow their instructions, even if the equipment drowns out the sound of their voice coming through the megaphone.
