If you ever work with heavy equipment in a construction zone, you understand that these machines can become dangerous. While slips, trips, and falls are the most common injury or accidents in construction, heavy equipment can still be a culprit in these incidents. Preventing heavy equipment accidents on your work site is very important for the safety of your workers—use the advice below to make your work site that much safer.
Be Wary of Blind Spots
Maneuvering a work site with heavy construction equipment is very different from driving a vehicle on the road, except both have blind spots. Just like that Chevy Impala that always rides directly in your blind spot on the highway, workers can do the same thing to equipment operators. Employees that are on foot within the worksite need to be wary and mindful of the machinery’s blind spots to avoid being injured or hit by the equipment. Additionally, operators should also check their blind spots and maintain eye contact with ground employees.
Use Trained Operators
Nobody other than trained operators should enter a machine’s cab or drive it. Accidents are far more likely to occur when someone is inexperienced in using this type of gear. Ensure anybody you hire for this job is a professional with training—and don’t forget to continue their education, ensuring they can brush up on their skills every few months.
Outfitting the Proper PPE
Personnel protective equipment is highly critical because it can help prevent heavy equipment accidents on your work site. While hard hats, steel-toed boots, and highly visible clothing are necessities, so is fall protection equipment. The operators could potentially injure themselves or cause accidents if they fall from the cab or fail to use the three-point system to enter or exit a machine. This system involves keeping three of your limbs on the equipment when climbing in or out to prevent falls.
Inspect, Repair & Maintain the Equipment
A broken or malfunctioning machine can quickly become dangerous on a work site. Before each work day, you must inspect your equipment to ensure it can handle the work for the day and that there are no malfunctions occurring. When something does break on the equipment, you must repair it immediately. More so, this equipment requires routine maintenance, such as topping off fluids, checking electrical work, and replacing deteriorating parts.
It’s always best to err on the side of precaution when you’re in a construction zone. One mishap or mistake can cause a domino effect of injuries or accidents if you’re not careful enough. Safety is a priority—keep it that way with the tips above!