Category Archives: Safety

The importance of operator training and certification for heavy equipment

Heavy equipment operators play a crucial role in industries such as construction, mining, and transportation. Operating heavy equipment requires a high level of skill and expertise to ensure that the job is completed efficiently and safely. This is why operator training and certification is so important.

The Importance of Training

Operator training is crucial to ensure that heavy equipment is operated safely and efficiently. When heavy equipment is not operated properly, it can lead to accidents and injuries. For example, an inexperienced operator may not be aware of the potential hazards of operating a piece of equipment in a particular way, such as using improper lifting techniques or failing to properly secure loads.

Operator training provides operators with the knowledge and skills they need to operate heavy equipment safely and effectively. This includes understanding the equipment’s capabilities and limitations, as well as learning proper operating techniques and safety procedures. Training also teaches operators how to recognize and avoid potential hazards, which helps to reduce the risk of accidents and injuries.

Another benefit of operator training is increased productivity. When operators are properly trained, they are able to operate equipment more efficiently, which can help to reduce downtime and increase the overall productivity of a job site. This not only saves time and money, but it also helps to ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget.

The Importance of Certification

Certification is another important aspect of operator training. Certification provides a standardized way of evaluating an operator’s knowledge and skills, and it ensures that operators are held to a high standard of safety and professionalism.

Certification programs typically involve a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on training. During the training process, operators are evaluated on their knowledge of the equipment, their ability to perform basic tasks, and their understanding of safety procedures. Upon successful completion of the program, operators are awarded a certification that demonstrates their competence and expertise.

Certification is important for several reasons. First, it provides a way for employers to ensure that their operators are properly trained and qualified to operate heavy equipment. This helps to reduce the risk of accidents and injuries, and it also ensures that equipment is operated efficiently and effectively.

Certification also provides a way for operators to demonstrate their knowledge and skills to potential employers. Certified operators are more likely to be hired for jobs, and they may also be eligible for higher wages or better job opportunities.

Conclusion

In summary, operator training and certification are essential for ensuring the safe and efficient operation of heavy equipment. Proper training provides operators with the knowledge and skills they need to operate equipment safely and effectively, while certification ensures that operators are held to a high standard of safety and professionalism. By investing in operator training and certification, employers can help to reduce the risk of accidents and injuries, increase productivity, and ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget.

Expert opinions matters a lot when it comes to safety of heavy equipment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

When you are dealing with an important thing that can make or break your business, you should depend on the advices of the experts. When it comes to heavy equipment, you got to be all the more cautious while dealing with it. Heavy equipment are highly expensive items and you need to be double sure before you do anything that you have not tried afore. It is always advisable that you take the opinions of an expert for everything that you are not sure of. The real problem is how we know a person is an expert in the field of heavy equipment. We can’t really determine that but there are few things that we can follow.

Take advice from experienced people:-

People who are dealing with heavy equipment for the last many years will be in a position to understand your issue and may give you a valuable suggestion. They may have seen several instances and have found a way to get pass through those issues. These experiences of theirs really counts and it will be prudent to put your queries to them. In case, if they do not know the answer, they will at least not misguide you by giving incorrect details. On the other hand, they will check about the particular scenario from someone else and then will get back to you. Alternatively, if you have a mentor in the construction industry or a person who is an expert mechanic can also come handy.

Post your question on the net:-

This is another option you can avail to get your answer on heavy equipment. Here you will get multiple suggestions and opinions of people belonging to this industry for years. All you have to do is put your question on your site (if you have one) and then wait for people to comment on it. You can also ask people to register on your site so that they can often come to your site and give their say on a new topic. In case you do not have your website, you can become a member on someone else’s website and post your question there. The effect will be the same. People who know about the subject will speak on it and shall also provide a link of a website for you to go through. This will save your time to browse the net and search for the topic of your interest. You directly can go to the site and get your queries answered.

Operators can be a big help:-

In case you are having an issue with your equipment and you do not know whom to reach for help, you can take help from the operator of your machine. Operators are the one who work all the time on your machine and therefore can offer you a piece of their mind. Simultaneously, one should also upgrade his knowledge on heavy equipment if they have to regularly deal with it. Nevertheless, an expert opinion always matter in keeping the heavy equipment hearty and healthy.

Highway Construction Safety

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Safety on a construction site is perhaps the most neglected part and stress should be put on the company to ensure that they follow the safety parameters at all times. When we talk about safety on construction site, we restrict ourselves to the safety of the employees and workers who work on the jobsite. But when we talk about safety on highway construction, it should not restrict us to the safety of the employees but should extend it to the safety of the people around the site. When you are working on the highway, you have vehicles moving on the road and it becomes the responsibility of the construction company to ensure that the vehicles passing by move safely and do not become a victim of an accident. The fact however suggests something else. It has been noted that a number of accidents and casualties that happen on the highways are because of not following the highways safety parameters. Though efforts are been made to reduce such incidents but the figures are alarming.

Need to have adequate signals:-

Most of the accidents that happen on the highway are due to inadequate availability of signals. The workers are busy doing their work and there is no one to give signals to the vehicles. For instance, when the construction work is happening on the end of a curve, it is crucial that the workers put some sort of impediments to slow down the vehicles or else they might not even see the construction happening because of the steep curve. For a second, they fall in the blind spot from where they can’t even anticipate anything happening on the other side of the curve. So when the vehicles are at full speed and they do not see any signals, they are bound to dash and that may cause severe casualty. In situation like this, the construction company should ensure that the workers deploy men who constantly provide signals to the vehicles alerting them of the work happening on the other side of the curve.

Workers manning the flow of vehicles:-

While the construction on the highway is in its full swing, the workers should man the flow of vehicles. They can close one part of the highway temporarily and ask drivers to use diversions. You only need few men who can control the traffic and show the diversion route. You can also put big blocks of impediments to block the way and use arrow signs to give appropriate signals to the drivers. There should be proper arrangement in place to control the movement on vehicles while the construction on the highway is in full swing. One must ensure that in no terms the vehicles should be passing close to the construction area.

Workers should be vigilant to oncoming traffic:-

It is crucial for the workers to remain vigilant at all times to oncoming traffic. They should make sure that none of the vehicles should pass close to them. During moments of high traffic, proper arrangement should be made to make sure that the vehicles move from a distance from the workers causing no accidents and eventually no casualties.

Safety of construction workers

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Accidents have become so prone in construction zones that it seems to be almost impossible to contain it. But the fact of the matter is we can contain many accidents from happening by following few safety parameters. This means that there is a severe lack of awareness amongst the construction workers when it comes to their own safety. Moreover, the effort put by the construction companies to educate the workers about the importance of wearing safety gears is negligible making things worse for the workers. The laws of US are strict enough to curb this problem but the real issue lies with the implementation at the ground level.

Other than this, due to the kind of risk involved it turns out to be a dangerous zone for the people working in it. The workers got to be careful when they are working at heights and while on the land they needs to have an eye on the heavy equipment that wanders all around the place. Though the operator stays vigilant to avoid any eventuality but still accidents happen and therefore it is the responsibility of everybody on the site to see that people around them are safe.

The construction workers also need to follow few safety parameters which will relatively bring down the incidents of accidents to a larger extent.

Wearing of safety gears:-

Safety gears starts right from wearing a belt to putting on a jacket. It largely depends on the type of work you will be doing and the site you are put into. Wearing helmets is quite common but many do not put the strap. This will let the helmet fall every now and then so it is better that the workers should tighten the helmet by putting on the strap. When they are working on heights like cleaning the glass window of a high story building, they should wear the safety belts so that in case if they lose their balance they do not hit the ground.

Check your tools before you begin to work:-

Workers are required to use a lot of tools. Right from Scaffolds to a hammer, they got to do with everything and therefore they need to ensure that all the tools that they will be working with are in perfect order. In case if they see anything to be shaky or not in order, they should immediately reach out to the officer in charge and report it to him. Resume working only if they are offered satisfactory equipment. Most of the times, there seem to be some issue with the ladder and the workers simply underestimate the issue and get on it. They are simply putting themselves at risk.

Know where the first aid box is:-

Most of the construction workers are not even aware if there is a first aid box available in the jobsite. They get to know about it only after the accident. Well, every worker should know about the location of the first aid box and how to use it. It can save their life and also the lives of their co-workers.

Buy Now on eBay [ebayfeedsforwordpress feed=”” items=”2″]

Give importance to the safety of workers – They really worth it

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Safety is considered to be an important factor in any aspect of one’s life and when it is concerned with the construction business, safety of workers becomes all the more important. It has been seen that people pay lot of importance to the heavy equipment they possess, they take good care of their finances to ensure that the money is utilized in the most optimum manner, they give a lot of emphasis to their clients to ensure a continued healthy relationship but what they fail to prioritize is how safe they can make the working environment for their workers. Time and again we get to hear news of accidents happening in a construction site and a worker either ends up losing his life or getting grievously injured in the mishap. There could be two possible reasons why accidents are so prone in a construction site and what can be done to lessen it if it can’t be eliminated completely.

Safety measures not followed by the construction company:-

Many construction houses usually shy away from inducting appliances that can change the face of the existing safety issues of the workers. They simply do not have the money to invest it in introducing safety measures or they are least bothered about their safety and well-being. Well, this kind of approach of the employers should definitely change as there are several laws present in the country that talks about strict penalty if the companies are found not incorporating safety measures for the workers. Construction companies in order to maintain their good reputation should not fall into any legal trouble especially if it is pertaining to the safety of the workers. Other than that, they also have to compensate the worker if at all he becomes a victim to any possible mishap. The amount of compensation is huge and the company should think about modernizing its infrastructure that can reduce the instances of accidents rather than spending the money in paying compensations.

Safety measures not followed by workers:-

People working in a construction site are often habituated working in perilous environments and do not have the practice to wear any safety appliances while at work. Therefore, it becomes the onus of the company to prepare stringent safety parameters which should be followed by all working in a construction site. It should not be only limited to workers but also to people inspecting the work. All have to follow the safety guidelines while they are inside the premises. If possible, companies can appoint a person whose work will be to check if the workers are following necessary safety guidelines and when are into doing some perilous work, are they on with their safety equipment. If at all he finds anybody without his safety gears, he has every right to ask him to wear the stuffs before he gets to work.

Sufficient training should be given to workers:-

It is the responsibility of the company to educate its workers of the safety guidelines and explain them why it is important to wear the safety gears. If the workers understand the importance of the gears, they will not be reluctant to wear them.

Related articles across the web

Mistakes a construction company should avoid doing

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Humans are bound to do mistakes in their lives and so do they also learn from it. Mistakes can happen in any industry and in any profession but there are some mistakes that can be avoided and one will never want them to happen. Mistakes are certainly not pardonable in professions where you just can’t afford to make mistakes. Doctors for that matter are bound to make no mistakes. Similarly, we expect the same from a pilot. But there are others industries where a mistake made, may not be life threatening but can definitely lead to severe loses and one can only try to avoid them. Construction industry is one such industry where you commit a major error and you got to be ready to pay a big price for it. There are few grave mistakes that one should avoid making especially when he is part of the construction segment.

Safety of employees should never be compromised:-

You can’t take human lives for granted come what may. People who are working for you are your men and it becomes your moral responsibility to safeguard their interests and their lives. Therefore, you should provide them with all the equipment and trainings that will keep them safe and sound. By no means should the safety of the employees be compromised. This can pose a big threat to the future prospects of the company and if reported to the concerned authority, you may even have to pay the price by leaving the project or by paying a hefty penalty. Also when you know that a job needs the attention of expert workers, you should know deploy men who are not trained for that job. They may end up injuring themselves.

Title should be clean:-

When you take a new project, you should ensure that the title on the property is clean and it does not have any disputes. These things should be done before you take up the work. In case you are a contractor then knowing about the title will help you to determine where you are heading. You should always keep your hands off from any disputed projects as that will lead you to complications. Check with the title company if there is any dispute on the property and if the title owners are the ones you have been informed holds the property. Projects are held up for years due to non-clearance of title and have become a matter of huge concern.

Never miss out on your finances­:-

The financial part of the company plays an important role in determining where the company is heading. Construction companies are known for not able to keep a tab on their finances. Money is needed to buy raw materials, heavy equipment, paying salaries to employees and taking care of other operating expenses but it all should be recorded or else you will not have any clue where your money went and what you can do to prevent unwanted expenses. Keeping a log of all your transactions is the need of the hour for every construction company and it may turn out to be a big mistake if not managed at the right time.

[ebayfeedsforwordpress feed=”” items=”1″]

Safety: Working around heavy equipment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Just like the owner of the construction company cares a lot about this heavy equipment, in the same way he also needs to care about the people who are working all day around the those machines. The operators are the ones who remain very close to the equipment. However, there are also other people like the construction laborers, engineers, site officers, and supervisors, who also remain in close contact with these machines. Though they not have any direct relationship with the machines but they all remain around the heavy equipment for most of the time during their working hours. Hence it is very crucial to ensure the safety of these men. Accidents of any sort should be avoided and there should not be any chance for anybody to not follow the safety parameters. The safety rules are meant for everybody who is inside the construction site and particularly close to heavy equipment and it also becomes the responsibility of the individuals who goes close to the machines to follow the safety rules religiously.

We will be discussing few very basic safety parameters one must be doing to keep himself safe while he is around heavy equipment.

Operators should always wear gloves and strong boots:-

Since operators are the one who always remain in close contact with heavy equipment, they must always ensure that they wear their safety gears at all times whenever they are in close distance with the machine. They must always wear gloves and strong boots that are not too heavy. Wearing gloves will protect them from any outer substance that has gone very hot and by coming in close contact with that substance they might injure their hands. Strong boots ensure that their feet are protected with any sharp element that may be present inside the cabin of the machine or anywhere on the site. They are the ones who are more prone to hazards and hence they should keep their safety gears on while working on the site.

Various safety sessions should be given:-

There are high chances that people especially laborers working on the construction site may not be aware of the importance of wearing safety gears when they are around heavy equipment. This is why they should be given different types safety lessons at regular intervals. The sole purpose of giving such trainings is to ensure that they do not injure themselves while at work causing problems to the project as a whole. Advanced safety training lessons should be given to the operators educating them to tackle situations. Also teaching them what to do in case there is a medical emergency on the site will help them to save a life of their colleagues. These types of sessions are very important as the availability of doctors can’t be always immediate. They would be the ones who will do the first aid and easing things for the doctor.

The construction company should make every attempt to ensure that the employees are following the safety parameters. This will all lead to a healthy working atmosphere in the construction site.

 

Safety awareness is instrumental across all levels of employees

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Construction laborers are not only engaged in one of the most arduous tasks but also one of the most risky works and their safety should be at top priority to the construction company. They can’t play around with their lives thinking to save some money by not providing them with the safety accessories. Construction companies in US are kept a keen watch by the body who is concerned about the safety of the workers. If these companies flout the law they will be penalized heavily and legal process will also be followed against the company. Companies ideally would not want to go through all this and therefore ensure that they provide their employees with all the necessary safety stuffs and minimize any untoward incidents at the workplace. Now other than providing basic safety infrastructure there is one more thing that is perhaps more important. It is to let the employees know the importance of the safety infrastructure and why they have to wear them all the time they are inside the jobsite.

All employees should understand the importance of safety:-

Before explaining the employees about the safety infrastructure you have for them, it is imperative that you explain them the need to use those accessories. They might be accustomed to a particular way of working and if you introduce something new to them, it may take time for them to acquaint with it. Some may not even want to use it as they may take that as a hindrance to their job. For instance, if you ask your operator to wear some special boots which is a bit heavy but will keep his feet safe he may initially not like to do so unless he is informed how the boots will protect his feet. This awareness needs to be imparted to different section of employees. They need to be informed why they have to wear the safety gears and gadgets. Some may already know about it but there may be few who may not. A collective training in this regard will be very helpful not only from the point of view of the employee but also from the perspective of the construction company.

Wearing of safety gears should be made mandatory:-

Nobody wants things to be shoved down their throat but there are few things which should be mandatory for the betterment of the employees. Wearing safety gears is one of them. The company should appoint few men who are working in supervisory roles to monitor if people doing perilous tasks are following all the safety parameters. If not they can instruct them to wear the gears first and then perform the task. Employees may feel a bit of inconvenience first but it is essential for his safety.

Safety training should be conducted once in three months:-

Safety trainings should be conducted once in three months and all the employees of the construction company right across all the levels should be part of this training. It helps in learning something new every time you attend one and also gets updated of new safety measures that the company is taking for its employees.

Related articles across the web

Let safety of your employees come first

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

A construction or a mining jobsite is often considered as a danger zone for people who are working in it and also for the ones who steps in for their individual reasons. Accidents are prone to happen in such kind of jobsite where the loss can be limited to just heavy equipment or can even injure the workers working on the site. If the loss is restricted to heavy equipment then that is manageable. You can fix a machine by repairing its dent or simply replacing the vital part and can get back the machine with the same vigor. But if an employee or a group of employees are injured in the accident then that can lead to a bigger problem. You can’t fix that because it if they get seriously injured in any accident that scar will remain for the rest of their lives. It is therefore very important to understand how crucial the safety of your employees is that you just can’t compromise at all on that front.

The steps that you can take to ensure that your employees are safe at the jobsite are as follows.

Train your employees on first aid:-

All the employees on the jobsite should be well trained with first aid procedures. The training should be conducted by experts in the field of paramedics. An employee can even injure himself without even contacting any external force. For instance, he has been given to pick a big sledgehammer and has been asked to disintegrate a strong structure using it and while doing so he sprains up his muscle and is now not able to move an inch. He is perhaps finding uncomfortable to even sit on the ground. The workers around him should know the first aid that they can give him to ease his situation and make him feel comfy till the paramedics show up at the jobsite.

Wearing accessories that keeps you safe is a must:-

Make it mandatory for everyone who is working on the jobsite to wear necessary accessories that will protect him from potential perils. A person who is monitoring the progress on the jobsite should at least wear a helmet so that while passing through a tall rise, if even a small stone falls on his head, he will not get hurt by that. Operators working on heavy equipment should buckle up and wear gloves so that they do not injure their hands by touching something that is hot. They should also be wearing boots all the time while they are inside the cabin and the quality of the boots should be such that it does not hurt their legs and also not make it sore when they remove it.

Water storage should be adequate:-

Employees working during summer get easily dehydrated. They need to drink sufficient water to keep their bodies hydrated and full of energy. Therefore there should be a water storage facility around the jobsite where all the employees can fill in water in their bottles and keep sipping it whenever they feel thirsty.

 

 

Related articles across the web

Preventable accident heavy equipment safety

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Safety has always been a big concern in any construction jobsite. Even though people take utmost caution and follow all the necessary safety procedures, accidents happen. Some companies have even called upon experts who have done detailed study in jobsite related accidents and they have to say that it is sometimes mere ignorance on the part of the employees that they are so engrossed with their work following which they forget to follow certain procedure and the accident occurs. At times it is also due to lack of communication.

For instance, when heavy equipment is supposed to work at a site and everybody needs to clear off the area while the machine is working, it has been seen that many workers just do not know about it beforehand and they continue with their work. It is only when they get to know from other workmen that they move away from the area. The experts say that they need to be communicated about the evacuation before the machine is moved into the area and not after the workers see it inside the zone they are working in.

Make announcement that is loud and clear:-

In order to ensure that your heavy equipment does not pose any risk to the employees nor does it become a victim of any accident, it is necessary that an announcement is made on the jobsite informing all that the machine will be working for “X” number of hours and till that time, workers will not work in that area. In this way, you can prevent any accident from happening. You can make use of big speakers to make announcements so that it gets into the ears of everybody and nobody wanders near to the site.

Ensure that the brakes are in order:-

Make it a general practice every time before you start your day. Start the heavy equipment and move it a bit. Go to and from and apply brakes while it is in motion. In this way, you will ensure if the brakes are in order. It has often been witnessed that an accident has occurred as the operator was not able to stop the machine even though he applied brakes with all his might. Please understand that heavy equipment go under arduous work and there is a possibility that some function will just desist to work. Therefore checking if everything is in place should be your first task before you begin with the day.

Regular maintenance of the machine:-

Regular maintenance of the heavy equipment is of utmost importance. You never know for what reason the machine might stop working or if some functions of the machine fail to work, it can lead to serious problem. For instance, if an excavator while excavating earth pulls the dirt out and while loading in on a truck, something goes wrong and it just throws everything out on the ground where people are working, it can lead to injuries. Maintaining a machine means treating the equipment completely and if there is any sort of issue then weeding it out completely should be a priority.