Heavy equipment safety is at the forefront of all training these days and with just cause. Over the years there have been hundreds of deaths or serious injuries caused by heavy equipment. In most cases, it is not the operator who is injured, it is those working around the equipment.

Of course, not all accidents can be attributed to the heavy equipment operator. After all, no one is psychic. Yet, with a little common sense, many accidents could have been avoided. No one can teach ‘common sense’, however, you can be trained in basic safety aspects when using heavy equipment. There are common situations that every operator can adhere to.

Safety starts with knowing your equipment and its limitations. It also includes knowing your own limitations. Once you get to know your equipment, you will sense when things are ‘not quite right’. Believe it or not, many accidents are caused, not by operational errors, but by equipment failures. Knowing your equipment can help you assess whether or not it is safe to operate.

This is where common sense can play a big role. A walk-around inspection prior to starting a job is the first task. Common sense should dictate that if something doesn’t quite look right, it should be looked at more thoroughly by an inspector. For example, a mechanic. The same is true if things don’t ‘feel right’ whilst operating the equipment.

Safety is important in the workplace now. There is a lot equipment being used at once. There are often a lot of people either working in the same area, or passing by. When enrolling in a heavy equipment training course, you can now expect to receive intense training in heavy equipment training. Employers expect it, the government insists on it, and your work colleagues rely on it.

Over the years there have been many accidents, some resulting in deaths, simply due to lack of heavy equipment safety procedures. There are many workplaces that started to introduce workplace safety procedures in an attempt to reduce the number of accidents, injuries, deaths and property damages. Let’s face it, it is not in the interests of a business to have a machine out of action, or to pay compensation for damages, as a result of an accident.

Unfortunately there were a lot employers who simply kept it ‘business as normal’. They looked at the cost of implementing safety procedures, which was a ‘now’ cost and compared them to the possible ‘future’ cost of an accident. They decided it wasn’t worth the money. When it comes to heavy equipment safety, if something goes wrong, it is generally a big incident.

Over the last ten years consecutive governments at both state and federal level have sort to introduce workplace safety legislation that puts in place a minimum set of standards in the workplace. Part of this legislative approach was to include safety training in all courses related to construction and the use of heavy equipment. There are now teams of inspectors that travel the country making unexpected visits to industry and assessing their workplace safety procedures. If a business fails these inspections they can face heavy fines.

Before undertaking any heavy equipment training, check first to see whether or not their training is accredited. Heavy equipment safety is a compulsory component for any heavy equipment training program to become accredited. Check first and ensure your training meets any legislative requirements – if it doesn’t, you will have a certificate that is worthless since no employer will take you on – make your training count – make sure it is accredited.

Have you ever paid any attention to heavy equipment safety campaigns like the ‘Look Up and Live’ campaign? One of the leading causes of death to heavy equipment operators is by accidentally coming into contact with overhead power-lines. Whilst the experience for the operator is not that great, energy consumers in the area won’t be thrilled either when they lose their power.

Whether you operate a farm tractor, an excavator, crane or any other heavy equipment, being aware of power-lines has always got to be at the back of your mind. Those working around you have also got to be aware of those power-lines so they can guide you safely around them. As one of the leading causes of death for heavy equipment operators, it is not an issue that can be taken lightly.

Most heavy equipment safety training programs include a component on overhead power-lines. This is because of the number of deaths and injuries that occur each and every year. Unfortunately, there is not a lot that can be done to protect operators should they come into contact with those power-lines. The simple solution of course is to avoid contact with them.

This is just one of many issues that heavy equipment operators need to consider in their day-to-day working lives. If you are planning on training to become a heavy equipment operator, one attribute that is going to be very important is your ability to pay attention to factors not directly related to what you are doing.

Heavy equipment training will always focus on three areas – the equipment itself, providing skills to operate that equipment, and knowledge of heavy equipment safety.

We live in a world where it seems everything is measured in time. One of the downsides to this is that people will often look for shortcuts so they can save time. When it comes to construction sites, the danger is that these shortcuts can produce serious heavy equipment safety risks. In an effort to reduce workplace accidents and deaths, the Federal Government along with most of the state legislatures all agreed to set in place certain minimum standards.

You will now find that most work related training has some form of safety built into the training program. This ensures that everyone who is entering the workforce has a common line safety training for their industry. Some industries such as construction and operating heavy equipment, their safety training is quite comprehensive.

When you think about it, the use of heavy equipment has the potential to cause damage to a lot of people and property. It is not just fellow workers, it could be those walking (or driving) past a construction site. Property at risk includes the building they are working on, those buildings surrounding that lot and of course other construction machinery.

The operators themselves are not immune to injury despite the latest in cab design, particularly when it comes to rollovers. That equipment can be extremely heavy and can hit the ground with the same impact as two cars colliding at 60mph. That’s quite a punch if your in the operators seat.

At ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools we pride ourselves on the level of training provided including heavy equipment safety training designed to meet national standards. Employers know that graduates from ATS are not only competent in using their equipment, they have also got the necessary safety training to meet national and state safety training requirements. Keep the workplace safe by thinking carefully on the safety training you receive – the next life you save could be your own!

Heavy equipment safety has become an important issue in the workplace. Operators who have been in the industry for decades still do a walk around to inspect their equipment before starting a day’s work. The operator who just jumps in without doing a check could be putting the machine, themselves and their work colleagues at risk.

A lot of operators have a check list they go through (generally a mental list) and it goes something like this. Check:

• tires for wear, cracks and correct inflation, or,
• tracks for any damage and for rocks caught in the mechanism, and
• fluid levels such as water, fuel, engine oil, hydraulic oil, transmission oil,
• windows for cracks and cleanliness,
• blades, buckets or scoops for cracks, broken teeth and correct linkages,
• inside cab for damage, cleanliness and the fire extinguisher.

If everything passes the walk around inspection, the operator then climbs into the cab and starts the engine. That is not the finish of the inspection. Once the machine has warmed up there is generally another walk around this time using their ears as well as their eyes. They are checking for:

• air leaks in the system,
• oil or water leaks,
• exhaust problems, and back in the cab,
• gauges for correct pressures.

It may sound time consuming yet to an experienced operator, the whole inspection is over within ten minutes. Failing to perform the inspection could result in the equipment being out of service for a substantially longer period than just ten minutes. That ten minutes is really an investment in protection – we just call it a heavy equipment safety and maintenance check.

A quality heavy equipment training program will take you through the steps needed to perform a daily heavy equipment safety and maintenance check. Some things require checking all the time. There are other components that you may only need to check daily or every couple of days. Get the right training and you will know what to do and when to do it – more importantly, you will know what you are actually doing, and why!

Safety is one issue that should not be ignored. Throw in a large piece of machinery and you you can understand a little about why heavy equipment safety is so important. Safety guidelines are set to protect everyone and everything. The operator, their fellow workers and the general public obviously require some form of protection but so to do buildings, vehicles and many other objects.

Some safety aspects are fairly obvious. For example, vehicles that are parked should have safety brakes applied. That is pretty obvious. Did you know that if that vehicle is parked overnight close to any public roadway then in some areas it requires either lights and reflectors or a barricade fitted with lights or reflectors?

It may seem like a useless piece of information. However, for an operator it is an important safety issue that has to be complied with. You would think it would be fairly hard to accidentally collide with a huge bulldozer that has been parked off the road – but it has happened. This is why these vehicles need to be clearly seen and idenfied as traffic hazards by passing motorists.

Safety rules go far beyond this and are generally focused on operational issues concerning safety. There are simple matters that the ordinary lay person would not think of. For example, the position of the bucket, scoop or blade on heavy equipment when it is moving from one area to another. Should it be up or should it be down? What sort of angle should they make? If you want the answers to these questions then you may need to consider undertaking a heavy equipment safety training program.

Heavy equipment safety is of the utmost importance in 21st century with businesses, contractors and operators facing heavy fines if they operate heavy equipment in an unsafe manner. This means that modern training procedures focus on getting tasks done using safe work practices.

Obviously a student is taught how to operate heavy equipment. How to move forward, how to reverse, and even how to dig a hole for example. In the past, you could learn all of this in a couple of days in the back paddock with another operator showing you what to do. Not today.

Today, before reversing, you need to check everywhere to ensure no accidents occur. Of course, over time this becomes second nature – a habit, and that is why you need qualified trainers from day one – to stop you developing bad habits.

Safety is important. No one wants to be responsible for the injury or death of another worker. Accidents generally happen due to lack of care – a lack of care that has become a habit. If you can develop strong work ethics that include operating heavy equipment safely you will find that the demand for your services will grow. Yes, heavy equipment operators gain reputations for being good, or bad, fast, or slow, and responsible or irresponsible. What sort of reputation do you want?

Undertake your heavy equipment training through on of ATS’s Heavy Equipment Operator Schools and you will be trained to develop the responsible work habits that today’s industry demands.

Mention OSHA and contractors, managers and even heavy equipment operators start to get nervous. I don’t know why! If you have received comprehensive training and you implement what you have learned then a visit from the federal government’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspector should be a walk in the park.

Despite rumors to the contrary, OSHA inspectors are not the enemy. Like you, they have a job to do and their job is to ensure that all work places are safe. Your job is to follow all the required occupational health and safety requirements. Heavy equipment operators have a important role to play in workplace safety given the power of their machinery.

One of the biggest differences between formally trained and ‘on-the-job’ trained heavy equipment operators is often their knowledge of occupational safety requirements. All accredited training programs like those offered at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools include safety training. This training is in line with federal legislative requirements.

Serious violations of OSHA requirements can bring fines of up to $7,000 each – and that is each offense and each person. What is known as willful offenses ( that is – the blatant disregard for OSHA rules) can cost up to $70,000 each. That is a lot of money which could potentially cripple a business and cost you your job – and your career. The last thing you need is a reputation for being a heavy equipment operator that ignores occupational safety requirements.

It sounds serious, and it is, yet by undertaking a good safety training program and following the safety requirements for each workplace, no heavy equipment operator need fear a visit from the OSHA inspectors.

When it comes to heavy equipment, bulldozers are heavy. They are designed to cut and push large quantities of material around with little effort. With their size and weight there are bound to be dangers, in fact, they can cause serious injury and even death, if not operated properly.

Sometimes the situation can be as simple as overhead power lines. At other times it can be the danger of people and vehicles moving in close proximity to the machine. Heavy equipment often comes with one major problem, they can be slow to action in an emergency. Not only can they be slow to react, if you can image a bulldozer pushing a large rock, even thought he bulldozer has come to a stop, the large rock may still move a little, particularly on a slope.

The same can be said if the bulldozer is being used as crane. The bulldozer may come to a stop but the load may continue to swing. Often, the only solution to operating a bulldozer safely is to have a second person on the ground who can provide directions and warnings to both the operator and those on the ground.

Ultimately, only qualified and trained workers should be allowed to operate and ride on bulldozers. The training should also include safety aspects as set down by state and national authorities. ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools provides a comprehensive regime of bulldozer training that includes safety aspects, maintenance checks and of course the operation of the equipment. Enroll now and secure a discount on training fees – hurry, offer ends December 31.

The majority of heavy equipment in operation today relies on the power of hydraulics. Have you ever wondered what it actually is? I could give you the Wikipedia definition:

Hydraulics is a topic of science and engineering dealing with the mechanical properties of liquids. Hydraulics is part of the more general discipline of fluid power.

It doesn’t really say much does it? In simple terms, hydraulics is the use of a fluid, in the case of heavy equipment, fluid is used under pressure to provide and action. For example, most cars rely on hydraulics for their braking power. Fluid is pumped to the break pads which forces them to close over the braking component of the wheel forcing it to slow – that is a very simple explanation.

In heavy equipment, fluid is pumped and the pressure used to raise the arms of a bucket, or tilt the bucket for loading or emptying. Fluid can be pumped along narrow hoses and can be far more effective than using mechanics.

As an operator of heavy equipment, part of your daily routine is to check hydraulic fluid levels and all the hydraulic hoses to ensure that every thing is good working order. A leak of hydraulic fluid can seriously reduce the power of the equipment you are operating.

If your planning a career as a heavy equipment operator, don’t forget to check out ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools for information on training programs available to you.