The average weight of an excavator is around 35,000 pounds, the average weight of a backhoe is around 25,000 pounds, the average weight of a front-end loader is also around 25,000 pounds and a track loader can weigh up to 10,000 pounds.
Heavy is the appropriate word for this type of equipment. In fact, larger versions of these types of equipment can weigh up to and even over 100,000 pounds. So it goes without saying that safety is vital to the daily operation and work around heavy equipment. But I’m going to say it anyway, if employees are not taking safety seriously, they are putting themselves and others in grave danger.
Throughout the years, there have been too many stories in the news of employees being seriously injured or killed working on or around heavy equipment. The common denominator to these incidents is unsafe acts: human error because an employee decides to take a shortcut or is distracted or perhaps overconfident and took chances. Typical incidents that occur are rollovers, employees being crushed by the equipment, falling equipment or loads, or employees being in blind spots.
Some of the common factors in most incidents are improper loading of the equipment, improper lifting, improper positioning for the task, using the equipment for which it wasn’t intended to be used, employees not being properly trained to operate the equipment, operating at improper speeds for the conditions, removing safety devices and improperly connecting attachments. The word improper is used a lot in this list which means that employees are not following safe work practices when operating heavy equipment.
There are several factors that can contribute to operators not being fully aware of the hazards that they are dealing with when it comes to operating heavy equipment. Inclement weather conditions, fatigue, the operator’s emotional state, the operator’s physical health and other employees in the area causing distractions. Speaking of distractions, cellphones need to be turned off while operating heavy equipment. As difficult as it may be, the operator must stay focused and put all the distractions aside to properly — and safely — operate the equipment.
The operator and the employees working in the work area should have a plan and work together to make safe operations a must at all job sites. Some questions to answer when planning for a safe work site include:
- What are the conditions of the work site, and how can we make them safe?
- Will there be other work going on around our work site?
- Will other contractors be there onsite?
- What do their work practices look like?
- What tasks will I be using this equipment for?
- Will there be a need for other heavy equipment or large trucks while operating the equipment? Are utilities accurately marked?
- What’s the plan if I hit an underground utility?
- If I am going to be lifting materials, do I have the proper lifting equipment?
- Do I have what I need for properly transporting the equipment to be used?
- Do I have a spotter for my blind spots and backing?
These questions and others may sound simple, but they can be easily forgotten or discarded when the rubber hits the road and you’re working to get a job done. But no job is done unless safety is a priority.
