Heavy Equipment Safety

When operating or working around heavy equipment remember these key points:

• Conduct a pre-inspection of the equipment.
• As the operator of the equipment know and understand your working load limits.
• Heavy equipment has blind spots always make sure the operator can see you.
• Communication between the operator and work crews always needs to be
established and maintained.
• When mounting and dismounting equipment be sure to have proper footing and use hand rails where available.
• Review your work area for overhead and underground hazards. Be sure to identify the hazards during your review and address them on your pre-task plan.
• When leaving a piece of equipment idol use the brake function of the
equipment. Using components of the equipment such as a bucket is not a
sufficient brake.
• Be sure to understand your sites requirements for operating heavy equipment.