Equipment Operator Training
1./ Death 2./ Personal Injury 3./ Damage to Machinery 4./ Damage to PropertyAll too often the cause of accidents involving heavy equipment is "Between the seat and the levers" in other words Operator Error.
I hope through these articles to make potential operators and experienced operators aware of their responsibilitiesÒ when operating or "running" equipment. To make them aware of the hazards that are present on the site and the importance of controlling those hazards and put the equipment to use safely and efficiently.
I will try to offer clear practical advice on subjects including
Types of Equipment and their Uses and Limitations
Build Components
Pre Use Inspections
Defect Reporting
Running Checks
Proximity Hazards
Operating Techniques
Shutdown and Security Proceedures.
Its not just a case of climbing into the cab and starting work! careful consideration needs to be given to your responsibilities as an operator. Here is a brief scenario.. You are asked to use a 360 degree tracked excavator to dig out a trench for drainage pipes,the machine weight is 15 tons,the trench depth is 12 feet,the diameter of the pipe is 5 feet and you need to use trench boxes to keep the trench walls shored up and the pipes are to be lowered into the trench using the excavator and 4 leg chains and there is an overhead power line which crosses the line of the trench. Explain the hazards present. I encourage feedback and discussion