Category Archives: Safety

Being intoxicated doesn’t mix well with heavy equipment

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Ever imagined how difficult it was for you to drive your car the last time you were intoxicated. Well, it is not at all possible for anybody to do anything right when he/she is under the influence of alcohol or any substance that has the potential to intoxicate our system We may have no control on our self and it becomes all the more difficult to do any small piece of work. Driving vehicle can become far more dangerous for us as well as for people around us. Now, imagine that you are working in a construction company and are given to operate the heavy equipment. You somehow wished to take few drinks and you turned up to the site. You thought that you would be doing fine even after having those drinks. But the moment you begin to work, you start feeling dizzy and your head starts spinning. You tend to lose control over yourself and in this process you find yourself nowhere in the position to operate the machine and if you still stress yourself and work on the equipment, you stand with higher chances of committing accidents thus probably injuring or even killing people on the site.

The construction company needs to take stern steps to ensure that all of its employees are doing well and are in their proper state of mind. If possible conduct tests on employees that they find skeptical. However, under no cost that they should allow their men or women to work in intoxicated state. It just does not go well with heavy equipment.

Conduct various trainings informing people the dangers of working in an intoxicated state:-

Many people are of the opinion that they can work better when they are intoxicated. They feel that they become more attentive and can do their work well after having few drinks or after having some sort of drug. Therefore, they tend to take few shots of drinks before they enter the cabin of the machine. It is really important to tell them that their very thought is completely incorrect. You find yourself to be more attentive because you feel sleepy but still at the back of your mind you know that you have to work all day and therefore you try hard to keep yourself awake. There is a need to impart trainings at every construction site on the hazards of working in an intoxicated state. Show them some real life pictures of the aftermath after working in an intoxicated state. That might open their eyes and they will realize how perilous it is to continue working in that way.

Install detectors that will detect if people are intoxicated:-

Construction companies for the good of its employees can install detectors that shall be used on employees who will be working on heavy equipment to detect if they are intoxicated. In case if they are, then they shall be asked to leave for the day. If possible, give them a notice and a stern warning stating that if they come to work again in this condition then they shall be expelled from work.

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Heavy equipment safety topics

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Since we consider heavy equipment to be the most important tool in the construction business, we should also give some importance to the safety of this equipment. It is undoubtedly because of these equipment that the construction industry is able to make so much money. Hence, they must ensure that they keep the machines healthy, secure and safe from any sort of hazard. Big construction companies have adopted a number of measures for the safety of their heavy equipment. The mid-size and small companies are also doing their bit in make sure that their machines are always in order.

Few very basic yet important things that can be done to keep the machines safe are discussed herein.

Machines do fall sick if not checked in time:-

Heavy equipment like humans may fall sick if they are not checked at regular intervals. They do give signs of not feeling well. It is just that the one who is operating the machine should be able to catch those signs and treat it well. Signs like too much noise from the engine are clear indication that the health of the machine is deteriorating and it needs to be checked as soon as possible. Ideally once should make sure that he services the equipment at regular interval and while the machine is being given for servicing, the mechanic should inform the owner if he finds any part of the machine as faulty. Then it becomes the call of the owner to replace the faulty part at that point in time or during the next servicing.

The mechanic should reveal how urgent it is (if at all it is) to change the part. Just in case if it needs urgent attention of the owner, then that should be communicated and needs to be replaced immediately.

An expert mechanic should be the one working on your machine:-

Always try to ensure that you get your machine checked by an expert mechanic who has loads of experience in servicing as well as repairing machines like yours. A newbie will definitely take more time to repair the stuff and there are high chances of him doing a blunder which may not happen if it is worked by the expert guy. You can generate a good rapport with the mechanic so that every time you have him working on your equipment.

Take necessary steps to keep the equipment safe from extreme weather conditions:-

Extreme weather is another cause of worry that many heavy equipment owners have. They need to treat their machines differently at different weathers. Like during summer, they need to ensure that the engine of the machine remains cool and ensure that it does not get overheated. During monsoon, they need to check that the machine is cleaned regularly or else there are high chances of huge portion of dirt making its way to the interiors of the machine causing wreckage. Winters are again a headache. Due to huge blocks of snow all over the road, it becomes almost impossible to work at a site. There the heavy equipment owners should make it a regular business of checking if the machine is in order and if there are any issues that needs to be sorted with immediate effect.

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Safety tips for heavy equipment

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We just cannot imagine doing work without heavy equipment in a construction industry. They are so important that work can come to a standstill; companies can lose projects just because of unavailability of proper heavy equipment. Alternatively, the construction companies who do not take good care of their machines end up paying dearly for getting them repaired and in this process may even lose the existing equipment forever; which means that they have to buy a new one. It is very important to take extreme care of the equipment knowing that it constitutes a major part for allowing you to earn your daily bread and butter.

When a person buys heavy equipment, he/she is given a list that talks about the safety norms that he/she must follow to keep his machine in good health and working for many years to come. It has been seen that people do not follow the safety parameters mentioned in the list. They use the machine as per their own whims and fancies and when they start experiencing complaints from the machine and then they feel that they should have followed the safety measures. However, it gets too late for them to do so.

We would be talking about few very generic safety tips that one must follow to keep his heavy equipment up and running.

Qualified and trained personnel to work on your machine:-

You may not want to give your machine to any layman to operate. It is recommended that you hire an efficient operator who knows about the machine and also has experience in operating it. Operators who have good knowledge in operating heavy equipment will often guide you when you should be servicing the equipment. They also get to know well in advance if there is anything wrong with the machine and at times can get that fixed without giving a call to the mechanic.

Avoid any sort of collisions:-

Due to lack of communication, operators end up bumping off the machine with other equipment. These accidents are bound to happen. However, if there is proper communication, then a lot of these accidents can be avoided. It is imperative to communicate with the people who are working around you and also to be alert with the things happening around you. There have been instances where the operator has just bumped off another machine lying at a place as he failed to locate the machine there. Well, the operator can’t be held responsible for that as he gets so engrossed with this work that it is possible he may fail to see things that are lying low and may knock the stuff. Had he been communicated or informed that there is something lying down that low and he needs to be careful, the accident could have been avoided leading no injury to the machine.

Regular maintenance of the equipment:-

While you are busy with work, you may skip the thought of maintaining the equipment. However, that does not go well with the machine. It needs regular maintenance and if that’s not done then it can lead to lot of problems later.

 

 

 

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Give utter priority to the safety of workers

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In any kind of industry, the workers play a huge role in shaping up the structure of the company. They are the ones who work hard all day and night and make the future of the company bright and in return it becomes the moral responsibility of the business owners to take due care of its employees. Employees working in corporate sector may not have to put their lives on risk but when it comes to the construction industry, the workers there work by keeping their lives on the edge. Construction industry is undoubtedly full of perils and one has to understand the risks he takes before he signs up for the job. Keeping into consideration the nature of the job and the risks involved, it becomes very important for the owners of the construction companies to ensure that their workers get all the safety gears that will help them to do their job with ease and also provide safety from unwanted perils.

We will be talking in length about what all an employer can do to ensure the safety of its workers.

Wearing of safety gears is a must:-

Employers of every construction companies should make it a mandate for their workers to wear all the necessary safety gears when they are at work. The most basic is a helmet. So when they are inside the construction site, they should have their helmets on them. Other than this, they should be wearing gloves and sport a dark glass when they are into wielding stuffs. They should make use of the lifts to carry the materials with them and not carry them on their back or shoulders. There are many other appliances available that can be used to give a level of protection which they so rightly deserve.

Train the workers on the importance of safety:-

Workers working in a construction site do understand the perils involved with their job. What they do not realize is that they can be safe by wearing few appliances that can bring down the severity of perils to a larger extent. This is where a proper training is required. They should be informed that by wearing those gears they can minimize the risks. They should also be trained on how to use those gears. Some may have seen the gears for the first time in their life and will not know to use them. These sorts of folks should be trained to use the gears for their own benefit.

Negligence to safety should be avoided:-

Most of the times, it has been found that workers are negligent to wear any safety gears as they feel that the work does not involve much risk. Well, this kind of negligence should be avoided. There should be a mandate for all the workers have to follow the safety parameters while they are at work. The most common form of negligence is not wearing helmets inside the construction site. If needed, there should be a person appointed to supervise if all the workers have their safety gears on and if not then they should be asked to wear it before getting their hands on the job.

The Importance of Learning Safe Tractor Driving

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Dealing with heavy equipment not only requires you to have a lot of skill and expertise but it is also very important that you know the safety measures. Apparently, operating a tractor is one of the easiest aspects of handling heavy equipment. However, the reality is far from true. The equipment may seem pretty straight and simple but things may go miserably wrong if the right steps are not taken. The damages caused by the wrong handling of the tractor may not be redeemable. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that you know what precautions you should tackle in order to safely operate a tractor.

The following is a discussion of some of the most important tips that one must keep in mind for driving the tractor safely and effectively:

Wearing the right kind of clothes

When you have to drive a heavy vehicle such as a tractor it is important that you dress accordingly before you get to work. Wearing loosely fitted clothes is not advisable in this regard. Loose clothes can be very dangerous and it is a priority and a safety concern that you do not take this matter lightly. During the colder seasons, make sure you do not wear excessive clothing that is baggy. Wearing a scarf will of course keep you warm during the cold but it may kill you too. If you have to operate a tractor during the chilly days, wearing a good neck warmer can do the job. It is important that you wear clothes that do not have chance of getting caught with the tractor.

Keeping the speed in limit

As you know, when you are operating a tractor it is your work and it is definitely not some kind of a race. A tractor is a very heavy vehicle. Therefore, any sort of additional weight could make the vehicle very tough to stop. Most of the injuries pertaining to tractors are involved with rollovers. The risk of rollovers can be reduced to a great extent if the speed limit is checked and maintained according to the books.

Being cautious at the inclines

It is important that you try to avoid driving the tractor on the inclined plains as much as possible. It is very dangerous to drive it down or up steep slopes as the risk of a rollover increases manifold. Most of the tractors are not really suitable for such terrain. However, if you have to drive on such plains it is better to get your tractor designed specifically to drive through the sloping steeps.

Tractors are equipment that is very versatile and they are used extensively. However, it is important that you realize that like any other sort of equipment, tractors are not free from dangers. Therefore, if you have to learn how to drive a tractor in all sorts of conditions, it is important that you enroll yourself with a trainings school for professional handling of such equipment. One of the finest schools that you may consider in this regard is the Heavy Construction Academy.

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Why should one use Hard Hat at the construction site?

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To take preventive measures against head injuries is a key factor in all safety programs. Certain occupations are susceptible to a more risky environment as compared to others. Being employed in a construction industry is one such job where the employees are compelled to take safety precautions. Even a single bruise sometimes handicapped the person for good or it can be lethal too.

Safety Hard Hats protects a person from diverse menaces. It is a kind of helmet used at the construction sites to protect the head mainly. Organizations which issue Hard Hats generally include their companies’ logos on the front portion of the hat.

Reasons of Using Hard Hat at the Construction Site

The rigid cover of the Hard Hat resists the blows. The system of suspension placed inside the hats work as a shock absorbent. Some of the hats are designed to function as an insulator against the electric shocks. It shields the face, scalp and neck of the employee spills, drips and splashes. Like welding helmets, Hard Hats are equipped with visors to protect the eyes. Mirrors are also fitted with the hats to increase the rear view of the field. A chinstrap is attached with the helmet to keep it from falling off when the wearer bends over. These hats also have a flashlight or headlamp to free the hands of the workers from holding a torch while at work. Most of the employees prefer the hats composed of brown glass as it has more balance, less weight and highly immune to stains and scrapes. The brown glass hard hats also do not let the rainwater to set drops on the hat’s edge. The small space between the head and the shell lessens the blow by at least 3 cms with the help of safety distance cushion when an object is falling vertically.

Service life span of Hard Hats

The most common misconception regarding Hard Hat is that it has a predetermined service period-but this is not true. According to the ANSI standards, all the ingredients of the Hat should be inspected daily to check the signs of cracks, dents, damages or any kind of penetration due to the everyday wear and tear. Hard Hats of MSA brand publish their own ‘Useful Service Life Guidelines’. These guidelines state the replacement of the Hard Hat after every 5 years and the suspension should be changed after 1year. The Hats which fail in the ocular inspection should be use only after rectifying the problem.

Plastic Hard Hats are sensitive to UV rays and hence can cause a problem. Problems caused by UV rays are easy to detect, as it will start to lose its glossy look. Further degradation causes the shell to flake away. Therefore, as soon as the UV damages are detected, the Hard Hat’s shell should be replaced.

Protection is the first concern of every person. So, don’t forget to put on a Hard Hat while working at the construction site.

Safety norms can’t be ignored in a construction site

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Construction industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and like every big industry it also has areas that can create trouble for the owner of the business. This industry has many such areas but it seems that people have learned how to tackle them effectively and continue running the business. However, there is one such thing that recurs in spite of several steps taken by the governing body. The area is “Safety”. When we talk about Safety, it is not only limited to the safety of the people working in the site but also relates to the heavy equipment that are working along with the men. There have been several safety norms laid by companies but still accidents are bound to happen. At times, it is beyond our control but most of the time, it is within our reach. So how can something that we try to avoid safety happen so often. It is perhaps we tend to get over confident on ourselves and somehow believe that nothing is going to happen and therefore see no use of following the safety norms. This is where we lose our focus from one of the most important aspect that this industry relies on.

Wearing helmets while inside the construction site:-

We may skip to do something as simple as wearing helmets inside the construction site. While we enter the site, we probably do not see any danger but danger does not give a call before coming. A small piece of stone falling from the 20th story building can drill your head leading to serious injuries and you never know if the accident will happen to you or not. Therefore, skipping the most generic part of safety is for sure asking for trouble.

Hire qualified and experienced operators:-

We all want to save money but certainly not at the cost of our or someone else’s lives. What happens when you hire an operator who is not qualified to operate the equipment you want him to work on or for that matter you yourself want to see how it feels to be inside the cab. A wrong push of the lever and a major accident is on its way. You are not supposed to play around with things that are of so much importance. If you want to learn things, learn it from the right person. Hire a qualified and experienced operator. Even if you have to pay more to him, please do so. At least you will be assured that your men and machines will be safe.

Don’t allow the operator to do overtime:-

You may have lot of work to finish on the site for which you need the operator to work overtime. A couple of occasions of overtime are fine but do not make it a habit. Remember, operators are humans and not machines and they need proper sleep or else if they go drowsy at work.

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Employ Parking Brake for Safety of Your Heavy Equipment

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Often, many of us think that a parking brake is used only for parking the vehicle on hilly roads or when the heavy construction equipment is mechanical or manual. This concept is entirely wrong, as parking brake is the most essential part of your heavy equipment whether you are running it on the hilly area or on the flat region.

In the bulky equipment manufacturing industry, this brake is recognized in the name of parking brake because it is chiefly applied to park the heavy equipment. Weighty machinery is held in parking condition with the help of the device, parking pawl. This machine is placed inside the transmission to break or extricate the vehicle so as to roll away it.  The parking brake has the ability to hold the heavy equipment in its parking place and assists in protecting its transmission, constant velocity joints and transaxle.

Overview of Parking Brake

In construction manufacturing industry, parking brake is the essential part of every type of heavy equipment that is also known as e-brake, emergency brake, or hand brake. It is a bolting brake which is basically applied for keeping the vehicle at a standstill position. Sometimes, it is also employed by the drivers to prevent the equipment from rolling situation when they required both throttle pedals and clutch to operate it. Generally, this sort of hand is brake available with the wire. This cable is joined to the brake mechanism on one side and to the foot pedal or lever on another side. This brake is also called as emergency brake because it acts as a saviour of the heavy equipment during the poor performance of the foot brake.

Most of the parking brakes are available in the market with the hand-operated lever function that is located in the middle of the console. The capacity of the parking brake not only confined to put the heavy vehicle in motionless state but also provides stability and reduces the danger of undulating away. The drivers place the parking braking by pulling the lever on the upward direction. And when they want to release the e-brake, they press the end key of the brake handle to lowering down the lever.

Procedure to Park Heavy Vehicle in an Angled Parking Area

  • The first thing the drivers should do is to place their bulky equipment far from the other vehicles at least maintaining the gap of five to six feet.
  • It is advisable to the heavy equipment operators to run their vehicle in the forward direction until they reach the middle of the parking zone.
  • When the operators see the middle of the parking area, they should turn the helm brusquely and proceed unhurriedly in to the space.
  • As the operators settle the heavy equipment to its suitable position, then they are required to align the wheels so as to run the vehicle in backward direction during the time of exit.

In conclusion, it can be said that braking system is one of the vital part of any sort of heavy equipment. There are some regulations regarding this parking brake that every heavy equipment operators should keep in mind. If you are operating a large material handling equipment or an earthy equipment, you should know the laws related to its parking brake part.

 

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Simple steps to boost Construction Equipment Safety

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In industrial automation maintaining the safety of the construction equipment is one of the most crucial factors. Safety is the integral part of machine functionality. Safety systems standards include stopping and stand still, speed of the machine and the direction in which the machine rotates.

Principles to be followed by machine manufacturers:-

  • Construction equipment should be constructed or designed in such a way so as to ensure minimum hazards.
  • Take necessary precautions against accidents that cannot be controlled.
  • Inform the users of the risk that can happen despite all possible precautions being taken.

Tips that are mentioned in the Machinery Directive for functional safety

  • Risk reduction through assessment:-It consists of two parts- Risk analysis and Risk reduction.
  • Determining functionality and safety performance steps to either wipe out the risk or to reduce it to a minimum level.
  • Implementing functional safety by designing the equipment safety system functions.
  • Verifying whether functional safety meet the demarcated requirements.
  • Validating functional safety to ensure the system function is successful in minimizing the risks.
  • Documenting functional safety through user documentation.

 

What are the simple steps to boost construction equipment safety?

  • Establishing systematic procedures for identification, assessment and cleaning the equipment after its use.
  • Clear the work area away of any debris, stone chips and trip hazards.
  • Before kick the equipment on, check for loose bolts, nuts and screws.
  • If the machine does not sound properly then switch off the machine and try to find out what is wrong with it.

 

  • Sometimes some dirt particles get inside the machine bearing of the equipment which is generally caused by use of compressed air to clean the machines.
  • Hiring and giving proper training to the technical team to control the storage of the hazardous substances.
  • Equipment idle reduction and control can minimize the amount of diesel used and thus can prolong the life of the equipment.

 

Some industrial companies make use of the custom software to ensure continuity in the implementation of the preventive maintenance procedures. The only administrative expense to detect the consistency in the maintenance program is the labor time to get a record of maintenance requirements.

An effective program to manage the safety of the construction equipment is very essential. To increase equipment efficiency and life of the engine, periodic replacement of fuel and water filter is necessary. One should replace the battery before it fails. Monitoring fuel consumption and oil consumption help to detect problems. Measuring the viscosity of the oil help to find out the chemical changes that the oil undergoes due to its thermal degradation. And finally the person should apply appropriate lubricant and regularly to boost the construction equipment safety.

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What are some heavy equipment safety warnings?

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When dealing with heavy equipment all construction project owners need follow certain health and safety guidelines to ensure safety to their workers as well as other people around the site. Faulty heavy equipment need to be repaired or replaced immediately as they can lead to fatal disasters and cause loss of monetary funds and lives of employees around the construction sites. A large number of accidents are reported every year that happen due to negligence of workers or awry equipments and lack of maintenance of proper safety warnings around the area.

The basic procedure that needs to be fulfilled with production of safety warnings in all construction sites and to be circulated through all employees, subcontractors and applicants, is mentioned here. The objective of these warning signs is to ensure that all workers follow these safety precautions when at work with heavy machinery so as to minimize the possibility of disasters taking place.

To ensure proper protection in the working area all employees must be handed with a copy of these health and safety rules at the time of their employment. And it is important that all the workers sign and submit the acknowledgement forms after reviewing the safety rules and clarifying all pertinent questions in these matters. The safety and health guidelines also need to be occasionally reviewed and updated to ensure they are current and applicable.

Enforcement measures are also necessary and employees should be subjected to disciplinary actions in case found to be violating these rules. Employees shall be afforded educational counseling and/or informative training to assure they have a clear understanding of the breach consequences and the importance of proper conduct under organizational rules. Nonetheless, nothing in the guidelines of this safety agenda will prohibit the management from terminating an employee for a safety violation. This is not progressive disciplinary system and any safety violation may lead to an employee’s termination without prior order or warning.  Management reserves all right to impose whatever disciplinary action it deems to be appropriate:

The measures can be anyone or more of the following mentioned points depending on the severity of the violation done.

  1. Verbal warning with recorded documentation in the personnel file of the employee in question.
  2. Written warning with mentioning of the details of the violation and also documentation of the offence in the personnel file of the worker.
  3. Termination if the severity of the violations seems to be too great.

The management personnel and supervisors will be deemed to appropriate disciplinary actions, if needed under certain circumstances as mentioned below:

  • Failure to provide adequate training to prospective employees before assigning them to the job.
  • Consistent safety guidelines violation incidents done by the employees under their supervision.
  • Not reporting accidents successfully or failing to provide proper medical assistance to any injured employee at work.
  • If precise cleanliness and housekeeping standards not being maintained as required which can prove to be a safety hazard.
  • Not being able to control or prevent unsafe working practices or conditions under their supervision.