Tag Archives: heavy equipment safety

Equipment Safety Tips

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Heavy equipment being such an important part of the construction industry, it can be said with no doubt that one needs to take good care of the machines he possess. He can’t just play around with things because if machines fail to function when it is supposed to, he will be into some real serious trouble. Therefore it is important to say that before the start of any project, check the health of your heavy equipment and if you find something not so correct, you better get that fixed first and then put them to use. Concurrently, one also needs to follow quite religiously the safety procedures when it comes to their heavy equipment. When safety procedures are followed it only lengthens the life of the machines making things more comfortable for you.

There are innumerable incidents that get highlighted on a regular basis that happens due to not following all the safety tips leading to heavy losses to property and at times even to life.

We will be discussing few heavy equipment tips that we all can follow to keep our machines healthy and simultaneously incur less cost on the repairs and fixtures.

Get good trained men on your machine:-

You should realize that you are dealing with big heavy machines that can turn dangerous if not operated by trained men. Give it to a newbie and he will make a big mess out of it. Therefore, it is of immense importance that you let your construction equipment to be operated by trained men who have sizeable experience in dealing with such huge stuffs.

Communicate with people around you:-

When you are working on the machine, it is imperative that you keep on communicating with people who are around you. It would be foolish to assume that they will understand your next move and will move away from your path. They may be engrossed with their work and if you fail to talk to them and ask them to move away you might find them exactly on your way and that might lead to some serious eventualities. Get your walkie-talkie out or 2-way radio so that you can ask people to get out of the way. Do not make a situation where things will become difficult for you to take care of.

Check your machine at the end of the day:-

You might be working very hard all day along and do not get the time to check if everything is ok with the equipment even though you get a slightest of hint of some problem. In a situation like this, you should check the machine at the end of the day and see what could be the problem and if it is a serious one try to report it to the people in charge. The repair team will take it from there and will fix whatever issues it had.

Regular maintenance is the key:-

This is perhaps the most critical and also the most ignored thing. Due to enough load of work, regular maintenance of machines can be easily forgotten. However, that will make matter worse and therefore try to get some time out of your busy schedule and ensure that you service the machine on a regular basis.

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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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Heavy Equipment safety topics

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Heavy equipment is considered as one of the most important component in the construction industry. It not only termed to be important because of its utility in the construction arena but also it is far safer than the traditional ways of working in a construction site. When we talk about safety, there are 2 types of safety that comes in our mind. Firstly, the safety to the equipment and the second is safety to the people around. A construction company does not want to take any sort of risk on the site pertaining to the safety of the people and also wants the machines to work without any glitches.

We would be talking about what are the general steps that a company or an individual can take to ensure that the machine is in order.

Maintenance is the key:-

You just can’t expect the equipment to work all day for you without you bothering to service them once in a month. There are lot of things that needs to be checked in a machine every day before you start your work. There are some very basic things that you need to pay attention. Things like if the brakes are functioning properly, check the levers are in order, check if the engine is making noise before it starts and things thereon. Apart from that, you also need to keep a note on when was the last time you gave the machine for maintenance. Check if the engine oil was changed then and if all the parts were well lubricated. These are again few basic things that you need to keep in record while dealing with the safety of the machine.

Hire experienced operators:-

If you are a novice and are required to operate a machine which you do not understand a thing, please do not lay your hands on it. It is recommended that you hire an experienced operator who understands the equipment and can get the work done for you. If at all you feel that you know how the machine works but need little guidance, then you can always refer to the training guide that will direct you to use the machine properly. Don’t hire operators who are not confident with the equipment or have never operated on the machine before.

Wear safety accessories before you start your work:-

Many people simply skip wearing their safety accessories. They find it to be unnecessary and endanger their lives. Fatality does not knock the door before arriving and you can’t be so sure that you won’t commit any mistake that will lead to an accident. The safety accessories are a must to the operators. They should wear things like work gloves, sturdy shirt trousers and footwear that is primarily meant for doing such work, reflective vests etc.

Hand signals are a must:-

This is applicable when there are ground workers on the site. Extreme care needs to be taken to ensure that you do not bump off with any worker on site. Therefore, the operator as well as the worker should know the hand signals.

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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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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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Accidents associated with construction equipment

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Construction equipment are generally heavy and one has to be cautious at all time to minimize the risks that can happen from bad handling and lack of proper maintenance of this equipment. Heavy construction equipment used in big construction companies make the construction much faster and easier. There are always some risks associated with the heavy construction equipment which can have disastrous consequences. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 75% of workers at construction equipment factory became victims of accidents. Some of the risks of using construction equipment are listed below.

  • Site fall: It includes roof related falls, scaffolding falls, elevator shaft falls, crane falls and falling objects. Over three hundred deaths arise from construction site fall every year. Though some companies pay compensation for the injury caused to the victim, but do you think it’s enough? Safety precautions should be taken by the construction equipment to ensure well being of the worker.
  • Roof related Falls:– Roof fall is one of the most common form of accidents. This includes skylight falls, communication tower falls and fall through existing opening. Many of the deaths and injuries can be controlled by proper protection equipment.
  • Crane Falls on Construction Site:– Cranes are designed to control enormous pieces of powerful machinery. The operators can also fall from crane due to loss of its balance.

 

  • Other common form of accidents using construction equipment are:
  • Forklifts
  • Backhoes
  • Bulldozers
  • Front-end loaders and
  • Skid Steers.
  • Steps to avoid such construction site accidents
  • Allow only trained and expert professionals for operating heavy equipment.
  • Equipment has been designed properly and safely manufactured.
  • A display of warnings on the machinery should be there.
  • Equipment is needed to maintain regularly with periodic checkups.
  • Find out whether the machine is properly carried out or not with tightened bolts, nuts and screws.
  • Check the trailer deck, stability and clearances.
  • Be careful of overhead hurdles and underground utilities like water, sewer, electrical lines, gas and telecom.
  • Find out whether any unconventional sound is coming or not from the construction equipment.

Accidents related with construction equipment is mostly categorized into two categories. Firstly, it’s improper maintenance management system and the way of its handling. And secondly, defect in the design or manufacture of the equipment including absence of proper warnings.

Sometimes there are also electrical accidents due to the construction equipment. OSHA has issued some guidelines for the safety of the workers with construction equipment and some precautionary steps that should be taken to face such hazardous accidents. Electric shock is another such common accident. It can cause many complications like muscular spasm, internal injury, cardiac arrest and respiratory arrest. A fire plan should also be there to evacuate the workers safely when an explosion occurs.

We all know the fact that accidents are not natural but they are manmade mainly because of their ignorance. So, to minimize such accidents the construction equipment companies should take proper steps and guarantee a safe life to its workers.

Follow the useful tips to Operating a Forklift Safely

Construction companies are doing great business for many years. Due to its amazing profits, many new comers are willing to start this business. Well, to run a construction company successfully, you need to purchase good and efficient heavy equipment. Without such heavy machines you and your workers cannot work proper in construction sites. One of the most popular machines that help to serve your works in construction sites is forklift. To maintain this equipment properly you need to use it carefully. Here are few tips that can help you to maintain the safety of forklift during the working hours.  These tips are just the basic safety tips to maintain forklift safely.

  • You need to find out a qualified operator. It is important to appoint a labour who can handle this equipment. There are many operators who are well trained, have great experience in this field and also contain a license to work with heavy equipment. It is always safe to contact such workers.
  • The operators should wear the safety coats in order to ensure their safety. It is important to wear such extra clothes to maintain the safety. Thereby, during your working hour, you need to put on a tight hat, good jackets and safety shoes. You should definitely put on tight fittings clothes. You shouldn’t hold any part of the equipment with grease on your hands. It can cause accident.
  • You need to check the equipment before you start to use it. Well, it is highly important to follow a routine check up on the forklift before you start to work with it. The important things on which you should put your eyes everyday are steering, warning devices, brakes, controls and tires.  If you find any damage or issue with your equipment you should apply proper repairing service on forklift before you start use it.
  • For maintaining the safety you need to find the seats correctly. When you are going to operate this forklift, you have to grab your seat correctly. You have to verify whether the controls of the equipment are in your reach or not. You also adjust the seat position and mirrors. You shouldn’t start to use forklift you are safely wear the belt. You have to seat within the cabin properly and it will help you to operate the equipment perfectly.
  • You have to be aware of the speed of the equipment. It is not good to run the machine with high speed. There is a fix speed limit for the machine that you need to follow and don’t try to cross the limits. It will help you to run the machine.

 

These are the basic tips that you need to follow if you are willing to maintain the safety of your machine. Without following such tips, you cannot work properly with this machine. Forklift is a very useful machine for the construction site. Thereby, you have to take care of it always.

What Are The Various Safety Protocol One Should Follow Inside A Construction Site

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Safety is perhaps one of the most important things that one would not like to compromise on and especially when you are associated with an industry that has high risk involved in it. Construction and mining industries are one such industries where the chances of an accident happening is much higher than compared to any other industry and which is why employees are required to follow the safety measures more stringently. They just can’t compromise on safety parameters and have to make sure that they wear all the accessories that will keep them safe and sound on the field. As a matter of fact, accidents are merely the outcome or carelessness and utter negligence and if that can be curtailed, many accidents can be avoided. It is better to be safe than sorry, this should be the only mantra for workers working in this kind of positions.

Here we would be discussing about the various safety protocols that one could implement in his company to avoid unwanted incidences.

Wearing of safety accessories:-  There are many construction companies which do not pay much heed to wearing of safety accessories and allow their workers to take unwanted risks. The workers on the other hand may not know the importance of these accessories and take the risk not knowing that if anything goes wrong, there is every possibility of them getting killed. It is therefore should be mandatory for every construction company to ask their employees to wear the required safety accessory in order to get the work done. Remember that losing an employee would cost you more than keeping a constant check and ensuring that they are on with their stuffs. Moreover, it will also keep you away from any legal hassle.

Give them the right sort of training:-  A good number of your employees many not even know how to apply first aid to a person who has just had an accident. They would rather wait for the ambulance to come in and pick the person away. That makes the job of the doctor pretty hard and leaves a strong possibility of the person getting killed. In order to avoid this, it makes more sense to train your employees on how to give first aid and also show them some demonstrations. It would be a good option to let them try few of the things they have learnt. Things you learn inside the training room may turn out to be very different when you actually need to do it in practical.

Ensure the supervisor do their job well:-  You should keep able and competent people as supervisors who understands the importance of employees safety and also makes sure that the employees follow the safety guidelines given to them.

Accidents are inevitable but can be largely contained:-  Accidents don’t call up and come and therefore one can’t make sure that they are 100% accident protected. However, by following the safety guidelines, one can definitely bring down the number of accidents and keep the employees in a minimal risk environment.

Compromising On Safety Standards Can Risk The Life Of Your Employees

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A construction site is never meant for children. The reason is that these sites are full of dangers. Dangers that we can’t foresee and they can come upon at any time from any corner of the site if things are left in a haphazard manner. Though all construction sites are meant to follow some safety parameters, accidents happen when they fail to follow those parameters and take an unwanted risk, which leads to untoward incidents. Well, it is very critical to first understand the value of a human life and once that is realized things will start falling in place. Other than that, workers should also understand the importance of safety measures in a work environment like this. The workers during many instances have to work very high above the ground and it is during such instances, if they do not take proper safety precautions, things may turn dangerous for them.

So how can one incur the practice of following the safety measures at all times in the construction premises? Firstly, the employees should be given proper training and must be made aware of the importance of the training. The employees should take the training very seriously and that can happen only when they understand how crucial the training is to them. Show them videos where employees in a construction site are wearing all the required accessories that will help them to remain safe. Also train them on first aid facilities and what they should do prima facie when an accident occurs. Overall, you would be gearing them up with all the required information that will help them to save someone’s life.

Working under an experienced person will prove to be very beneficial to the newbie. They may not have the experience to deal with situations. Given required training will let them know what to do but if they have someone experienced by their side, it always make things easier. More to this, the experienced guy may also share his experiences with them which will be a good learning to them.

New safety devices are the need of the hour. You can’t hold on to the same old stuff which was being used a decade ago. There are new things coming up in the market which can give better protection to your employees from any eventuality and incorporating those things will definitely not harm the finances your business in any manner.

Implementing stringent rules are a must in this form of an industry. Be it construction or mining industry, safety of the employees come first. Therefore, it becomes the onus of the company to ensure that all the employees are rigorously following the safety guidelines while they are at work. If required, you can ask their supervisors to check if all the workers have worn their safety stuffs before starting their work.

It’s better to be safe rather than being sorry about things that were well in your control. Compromising on safety measures can cost you big time.