Safety Tips You Should Consider While Using Earthmoving Equipment
Earthmoving equipment like bulldozers, cranes, skid and front-end loaders and tractors are a necessity in most construction projects. Without the right earthmoving equipment, it would be impossible to construct viable and robust structures. However, this heavy equipment can be inherently dangerous when it isn't used properly.
This post will be sharing key safety tips every project manager should consider to stay productive and ensure the site is safe. Whether you are building a new house or roads or working on excavating, the following tips will keep the workers safe.
Conduct safety training
Before the project starts, it is important to conduct safety training sessions to brush up on everyone's safety knowledge and skills. Some of the topics you should cover include equipment safety features and safety measures to take while using the equipment. Workers who will be operating the earthmoving equipment must be trained on how to operate the equipment safely. The rest should also be taught to work in a busy environment that's surrounded by heavy equipment.
Refresher courses or retraining should be done whenever you realise the workers aren't using equipment safely or when new members join the team. Don't be tempted to skip the training even if you have hired seasoned operators.
Examine all the heavy equipment
Earthmoving equipment can get damaged, just like other vehicles. If an essential part of the equipment fails during operations, it could easily cause a dangerous situation on the worksite. For instance, if brakes fail, the heavy equipment might damage other equipment or the structure or even kill workers. A damaged crane can also drop its load, destroying everything it lands on. Fortunately, all of this can be avoided by inspecting the equipment regularly. Some areas your team must check every day before work include the tyres, fluid levels, headlights and brakes. You should also create a service schedule so that a trained expert can examine the equipment regularly.
Keep the work site clear
Another way you can maintain safety in a work environment is to keep the area clear. Cordon off the specific area your team is working on while using heavy equipment so that the other workers don't get close. If the heavy equipment is being operated or moved near the workers, communication must be done to keep the blind spots clear. Use radios, a sporter or hand signals to communicate effectively, especially when backing up. Of course, heavy equipment has backup alarms, but the sound might not be heard if it's too noisy.
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