Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Heavy Equipment Training – A Must for Every Heavy Equipment Operator

The job of a heavy machine operator is indisputably one of the toughest jobs and one has to be highly skilled and trained to perform his duties with zero errors. They have huge responsibility on their shoulders and understand that any mistake done by them can have serious consequences on the company they work for and simultaneously on others as well. With the advent of technological advancements, things have been made lot simpler for the operators to perform their duties without undergoing an error. However, it takes a great deal of effort and constant learning to understand the technological changes that comes up every now and then and incorporating the changes can at times act as a challenge to these operators. So what makes these men the best in the industry? We would be unearthing this question and will try to put down some facts that speak in volume about the kind of training one has to undergo before becoming a heavy equipment operator.

Ideally, one has to go through rigorous training which includes classroom training of 2 years and on the job training of 3 years. We would be discussing what sort of training they undergo in the 5 years of their learning of heavy machines.

Classroom Session:  This is the initial and perhaps the most important part of their training. Here they are given a brief introduction of the machine and are made acquainted with its parts. It is considered to be the most vital part of the training as the students are given basic understanding of the machines and its properties. If they follow the manuals properly, they will comparatively take less time to understand the concepts and will easily grasp more in the following sessions. Classroom training also involves training on safety measures that needs to be followed on duty. If the teachers can inculcate the importance of safety measures to the students’ right from the base level, they will grow up as a far more responsible operator and will stringently follow the safety codes while performing their duties.

Students are also taught a bit of technical stuff like removing hazardous waste, equipment maintenance and repairing parts of heavy equipments. These things gives the student a better learning of how important it is to keep the machines well maintained and in case of a break down, what they can do to fix the problem (as long as it does not require a technical expert to fix the problem)

On Job Training:  On job training is a level higher than the classroom training. Here, they get a practical approach to all that they have learn in the classroom sessions and may find things to be more interesting as they will get to operate machines (of course under the guidance of an expert). They have to work and study for another 4 years and get themselves acquainted with different types of machines. All their learning’s that they had in the classroom takes a practical approach and things become all the more exciting for them. They can try their hands on machines like bulldozers, excavators and other earth moving machines.