Heavy Machinery Care Routine

In the past, implementing a Preventative Maintenance program into your heavy machinery care routine was considered a costly and unnecessary decision. It was often a scenario where the mindset was to fight the problems as they arose with heavy equipment, instead of performing the preventative care necessary to keep breakdowns from occurring in the first place. 

Yet, as it is well documented that preventative maintenance keeps breakdowns to a minimum, and when breakdowns occur, they are limited to less costly and quicker repairs being needed, we’re seeing the implementation of preventative maintenance programs in shops much more frequently than before. A perfect time to implement such a program is when you are winterizing your heavy equipment. If you’re already prepping your equipment, checking fluids, and replacing worn parts to ensure it will run through the rougher weather, why not go ahead and put a preventative maintenance program into place? 

The benefits you’ll see that are nearly instantaneous are: 

Problems With Machinery Are Caught Early 

Instead of a hydraulic pump completely blown and in need of replacement, you notice the leaking hydraulic fluid, and the seals can be replaced. These are the type of immediate cost and labor savings that a preventative maintenance program can ensure that you will see almost immediately when you put a preventative maintenance program in place.

Everyone knows that if you continue to run a piece of machinery on a failing part, you will see a continuous downhill slide in that machinery’s performance. You can go from a few failing seals to a pump, seals, and blown lines quickly if you don’t address the problem when it is in the beginning stages. 

Minimizing Fuel And Other Fluid Waste 

Let’s face it, fuel and other fluids are not cheap. It’s a costly venture to own and operate heavy equipment. The price of oil for a front-end loader alone can quickly drain your vendor credit account. Multiply that expense by every piece of machinery you’re running in your fleet, and you have a major expense on your hands. 

When you’re operating your machinery at less than optimum performance, you’re putting equipment drag into play on your fluids and fuel levels. You’ll burn through your fuel at an accelerated speed, and depending on the maintenance that piece of machinery needs, you may very well run through all of the machine’s other fluids at breakneck speed as well. 

The Number Of Major Repairs Are Decreased with Preventative Maintenance 

If you catch a breakdown in the early stages, you can prevent major parts from being destroyed. As we discussed earlier, it’s much easier and cheaper to replace seals than it is to replace the entire hydraulic pump. If you allow a failing part to affect every part down the line, you’re turning an already fragile situation into a potentially harmful and very expensive breakdown, where the entire issue could be resolved with just a few seals being replaced. 

Protects Employees From Machinery That Isn’t Operating Safely 

The last thing, any heavy equipment owner needs is an OSHA recordable. Not only are you risking such an occurrence by not properly maintaining your heavy equipment, but when OSHA shows up on-site, they will expect to see every maintenance record that you have on that piece of equipment. 

When you put a reliable preventative maintenance program or a CMMS into place, you arm yourself with records that are indisputable, and with the knowledge that you did everything possible to protect your employees from the harm that can come when they run faulty equipment.

Extends Heavy Equipment Life By Significant Time Periods 

We all want to get the maximum mileage out of our heavy equipment. It is expensive to purchase, and if you’re not getting maximum value from your heavy equipment, it is a huge waste of your hard-earned money. Why not properly maintain your equipment and ensure that every engine hour possible is worked on your equipment? 

When you implement a preventative maintenance program and address minor issues with your equipment while they are still minor, you’re maximizing your equipment hours and preventing small parts breakdown from becoming time and labor-consuming major breakdowns. By simply addressing your equipment needs in a timely and preventative fashion, you can and will see major breakdowns decrease. In addition, you will extend the life of your equipment every time by reducing wear and stress on the machinery, and ensuring that the equipment maintenance is addressed on time and with the proper frequency as recommended by the manufacturer.

The days are getting colder. Winter is quickly approaching. You will want to be preparing your heavy equipment and machinery for the colder weather, so you can prevent damage that can be expensive and time-consuming. Now is the time to plan and get things in order. Here are a few tips for getting your heavy equipment ready for the cold weather that lies ahead.

• Be sure to condition any and all hydraulic hoses and use the correct lubricants. Make sure your equipment has the right engine, transmission, hydraulic, and final drive lubricants for that specific piece of equipment.
• Use enclosed storage facilities for your equipment, and be sure fluids are at room temperature. That will make for an easier start for your machine and you will spend less time brushing off all the snow and ice.
• In most situations, block heaters are best for getting your engine started in cold weather. A block heater will increase the temperature of the hydraulic fluid and the engine. You can block the radiator to speed up the warming-up process.
• Be sure that all batteries are fully charged and that they are warm. When it is cold, it takes twice as many cranking amps for your battery to turn over, so making sure it is charged and warm will make it start much easier and more quickly.
• Keep starting fluid on hand, be sure it stays at room temperature, and only inject it as the engine is cranking. Be sure to store starting fluids properly and safely as they are highly flammable.
• You should always run the engine until it reaches the temperature for operation. This can help you avoid sticking of the exhaust and intake.
• Make sure you keep your tires properly inflated because they lose cold air faster in cold weather. Also, when they are inflated, do so in a heated area for the best results.

Safe + Sound Week was observed during August and the week was a time to celebrate the successes of workplace safety and health programs. Throughout the week, information was made readily available for other tips to help improve workplace safety.

The United States Department of Labor and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) believes that the annual event is beneficial in many ways. Successful health and safety programs can identify and manage workplace hazards so injuries and illness can be avoided. OSHA’s goal is to improve sustainability and make safety the priority.

Many organizations have found participating in Safe + Sound Week can help get a safety program underway, bring new life to an existing program, or just offer companies the opportunity to recognize successful programs and employee efforts.

Who Should Participate?

All organizations who are needing an opportunity to recognize their safety commitment should join in the annual event. During 2018, more than 2,70 businesses participated and helped raise awareness about workers’ safety and health. During 2019, almost 2,500 businesses signed up to join the activities.

To learn more about the annual event, and to participate next year, visit the OSHA website at https://www.osha.gov/safeandsoundweek/.  You should plan year-round for safety and implement the appropriate changes and programs to help encourage your employees to safely and effectively handle all projects.

Every business should have a safety plan in place and have a published list of safety protocol for all the different job roles in their operation. Businesses who have such programs have much lower accident rates and fewer injuries reported.

Excavation and trench work is the most hazardous construction operations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines an excavation as any trench, cut, or cavity that is made by man. These depressions in the ground are made by removing the earth. A trench is a narrow underground area that has been excavated to be deeper than it is wide, but it cannot be wider than 15 feet. So why is trench safety so important?

There are dangers with any construction work, but when it comes to trenching there is a risk that a cave-in could occur. Cave-ins could result in the loss of life and are much more likely to cause fatalities than any other excavation-related accident. There are many other risks, such as falling loads, falls, and the risks of working with mobile equipment. There are hundreds of workers injured and dozens killed by trench cave-ins every year.

Properly Protect Yourself From Trench Collapses

Workers should never enter a trench that isn’t protected. Trenches that are at least five feet deep should have a protective system unless it is in solid rock that is stable. Trenches that are 20 feet deep require a protective system to be designed by an engineer or based on tabulated data that has been prepared and reviewed by a qualified engineer.

Many effective protective systems are used for trenches. Shielding uses trench boxes or supports to keep the dirt from caving in. Shoring involves the installation of aluminum hydraulics or other kinds of supports to stop cave-ins or the movement of dirt. Sloping is an approach that involves cutting back the trench wall at an angle that is away from the point of excavation.

The design of a protective system can be complex since there are a variety of factors that must be taken into consideration. The engineer must consider the soil classification, the depth of the cut, the soil’s water content, climate or weather changes, and any other operations in the area. OSHA requires that the trenches be inspected on a daily basis, and if there are problems that arise, they must be corrected by a competent individual who is trained to handle such problems.

Every course we teach includes a section that refers to safety on site, and it is something that is incredibly important for every heavy equipment operator, every day. However, part of that dedication to safety includes the clothes we wear, but what do you need to look out for to get the right safety clothing when on-site?

Boots

Having good boots is important, not only for protection but for comfort too, there is nothing worse than a pair of boots that hurt when you have a long day ahead of you. Steel-toed boots are of course essential, but also look for quality leather that will wear in and provide real comfort, good grippy soles are important too, and always ensure that the lacing is strong and sturdy too.

Gloves

The right gloves are a balance between protection and flexibility, you don’t want gloves that get in the way too much, as they just become annoying after a while, but very thin gloves don’t really offer enough protection. For winter, insulated gloves, especially those that use effective but light insulation such as Thinsulate, are a wise choice, and for all seasons, goatskin gloves provide strength and abrasion resistance without adding weight.

Safety Glasses

Glasses should be of the right kind, for instance, made specifically to fit over your ordinary glasses if you wear them. All glasses should conform to government safety standards.

Hard Hat

There are two things you need from your hard hat, that they conform to safety standards, and that they fit well. Fit is a personal thing, but make sure it’s comfortable to wear, it can become really annoying over a long period if it’s not.

Hearing protection

Again, make sure yours complies with regulations, and today many incorporate radio systems so that you can stay in contact with site supervisors.

High-Visibility Clothes

Having a high-visibility jacket is essential on most sites today, and it is something you shouldn’t ignore. It can be the difference maker and save you from disaster, especially on sites with multiple pieces of heavy equipment operating at the same time.

Finally, think about the rest of your clothing, you want to avoid anything particularly loose, as that has the potential to get caught in mechanisms, and make sure in the winter that you have appropriate warm clothing as needed. It may not always seem too cold, but after a day on-site it can creep up on you.

Fatal accidents within the heavy equipment and crane industry

Here is some important and scary information you should know and take into consideration when looking into the heavy equipment industry or the crane industry. No one expects to go to work and be unsafe, but within the heavy equipment and crane industries there will always be a certain amount of risk, due to the nature of the job.

Construction sites, mining facilities, and so on can never be completely controlled, and sometimes accidents do happen. In fact, fatal accidents are very rare, with the most recent government figures showing just 12% of fatal construction accidents being heavy machinery or crane-related. However, even with that level, it is important to understand how these accidents occur, so we can all avoid them in the future. Studies have constantly shown that one of the main contributors is operator error.

With operator error such a large contributor to the frequency of such accidents, it is an area that needs addressing by the industry. That is why training is so important today, and getting the right, hands-on training as close to a work environment as possible, really is essential for every heavy machinery or crane operator today.

At ATS we take safety seriously and work hard with our students, both in the classroom and out in the field to offer comprehensive training that not only prepares students for the job itself but the unpredictability of a construction site. With our unmatched industry expertise and unique training programs, we help our students master the work environment, spotting danger before it becomes a problem. They learn to operate under pressure while maintaining the highest levels of equipment and operational safety.

A good safety record can always be improved, and that is why we ensure our students are the best equipped to operate machinery and cranes as safely as possible. Get in touch today and see the difference that our safety-focused, mixed theory, and practical courses give to your confidence and ability on-site.

As with all aspects of construction work, when digging safely it is important to make sure the whole process is as safe as possible for everyone concerned and to do that we must understand the risks that we take on when digging. Risks from equipment are obvious, and on-site safety procedures take care of that aspect of the dig, but there is another area of risk when digging, and that is that we don’t always know what is underneath us in any location.

Today the country is crisscrossed with underground pipelines, most of them are part of our utility systems, and each presents a danger of its own. From electrical power lines and lighting cables to gas and oil pipes, sewers and drain lines, and even petroleum and gas lines in some situations, all present real danger to operators, those on the site, and the general public should they be damaged.

It is not just danger of course, while the immediate issues of cutting a power line for the operator are clear, there is also the problem for possibly thousands of people it can affect, something else to be avoided too. But, without starting digging, the question is, how do you know what you will find once your digging starts?

The good news is that there is a nationwide initiative to combat this, known as “call before you dig”, in fact, it is a legal requirement to call the service before digging. While a national service, each state runs its own version, accessing it involves dialing a state code plus 811, and you can quickly find the state code for your site online. Contractors should call 2 to 10 days before work starts, giving the location and details. Outline the area of the dig in white paint to show the utility company the affected area. The call center will pass the information to the appropriate utility companies, who will mark lines in that area for you.

Markings follow a standard color code as follows:

• Red – Electric power lines, cables, conduit, and lighting cables
• Orange – Telecommunication, alarm or signal lines, cables, or conduit
• Yellow – Natural gas, oil, steam, petroleum, or other gaseous or flammable material
• Green – Sewers and drain lines
• Blue – Portable (drinkable) water
• Purple – Reclaimed water, irrigation, and slurry lines
• White – Proposed excavation limits or route

Once the lines have been marked, you must then confirm with the service that the lines have been accurately located. How you confirm does vary little from state to state, so check with your local center for the exact process.

You can call for a remark should the loss of marking be unavoidable during the project, part of a contractor’s legal requirement is to maintain the marks throughout the project’s life, and with the lines carefully marked, the dig can continue safely, avoiding problems and reducing risks.

MSHA, or Mine Safety and Health Administration, certification is the proof of training or retraining within the mining industry as outlined by the Administration, which is required for various jobs within the mining industry.

The most common mining training is found under the Title 30 CFR – Part 46 regulations, which stipulates that new miners must complete a minimum of 24 hours of training in their first 90 days of employment, including 4 hours which must be completed before any new miner can work at a mine, whether they are surface miners or surface mining contractors.

In addition to that initial training, all surface miners and surface mining contractors working at a mining site are required to complete at least 8 hours of annual refresher training every year. The contents of that refresher training are also quite specific and must include changes at the mine that could adversely affect a miner’s health or safety and other health and safety subjects relevant to mining operations at the time. Other than the Part 46 courses, MSHA also has several other training initiatives, including Hazardous Chemicals, Emergency Spill Response, Electrical Hazards, and miners’ rights.

Training Requirements

MSHA training requirements do not just apply to miners themselves, but all surface mining contractors that work at a mining site. Because the regulations themselves define a miner as anyone who is engaged in “mining operations, which is:

• mine development
• drilling
• blasting
• extraction
• milling
• crushing
• screening or sizing of minerals at a mine
• maintenance and repair of equipment
• associated hauling of materials within the mine from these activities

That means heavy machinery operators and truck drivers who operate at a mining site need the MSHA certification just like the miners themselves.

Because Part 46 training is mandatory, anyone wanting to work at a surface mine has an interest in completing this course, this includes contractors and machinery operators, not only for legal compliance but to also have a good grounding in the dangers of mining sites and the safety protocols that provide workers with protection.

While those currently working at a mine must complete the MSHA training to comply with part 46 regulations, for any heavy machinery operator it can be beneficial to look into such certification for yourself, especially the 4 hours required before you can step on site. The reason for this is that it opens up another career avenue, with only qualified people being able to take on mining jobs, having that qualification in advance can help if you are looking to move into that sector.

Modern technology and high training standards mean that safety records are better than ever today, but when cranes are involved, safety should never be taken for granted. As loads have become bigger and sites more complex, the need to create a platform for safety standards and accepted practices that took modern innovation into account was noted by OSHA at the start of this decade. Today, we have a thoroughly modern safety system designed by OSHA that recognizes the risks such large cranes and loads represent and provides the operating practices that best minimize those risks.

Central to those safety standards is training, with operators of cranes requiring certification by an accredited crane operator testing organization for the size of crane they are using. In practice, with relatively few such organizations, this means passing a National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) training program. These are held by accredited teaching facilities, offering complete training courses culminating in NCCCO written and practical exams. Additionally, OSHA has also detailed Rigger/Signalperson training and standards that work in conjunction with their operator processes.

OSHA takes the view that well-trained operators, riggers, and signal staff operate in a safer way when on site in normal circumstances, but are also trained to recognize risks and take steps to avoid them, and are able to maintain a higher safety standard even in difficult situations. They have been proven correct too, and while the changes in regulations in 2010 did cause some concern in the industry, the better performance and safety today have shown the value of those changes over time.

Here at ATS, we offer a comprehensive NCCCO training program that covers every aspect of crane operation and OSHA regulation compliance. We also have a rigger/signalperson program available that covers all aspects of OSHA regulation as well as NCCCO Rigger 1 and 2 programs as well.

All courses include both written and practical training, and offer comprehensive, effective education for any crane operator or rigger/signalperson, providing not just an NCCCO or compliance certification, but the knowledge, skill, and understanding to be safe and productive onsite.

Our training delivers competent, reliable, skilled workers who understand the job, but also know how to carry out their tasks as safely as possible, for themselves, for the site, and for their team. We are proud to offer courses that actively improve safety on site, and our crane and rigger courses do just that by following all OSHA compliance requirements, with well-thought-out programs and testing via the NCCCO.

Safety-conscious personnel delivers a safer work environment. OSHA believes that and we see it for ourselves, better training, improved safety awareness, and fewer accidents. ATS delivers the training and mindset that produces those results.

When you train for a career in construction operating heavy machinery, there is a lot to learn. Not just the skills to control the equipment safely and effectively, to get it to do exactly what you want every time, but the teamwork and first aid safety required on site, the way communications work on the modern construction site, and how to approach the job on a day-to-day basis. Everyone learns these things and looks forward to putting it all into practice on-site on their first construction project.

But there is one thing we teach our students that is incredibly important, and yet it is the one piece of training everyone hopes they will never have to use. That is, of course, the first aid training we provide for our students.  We provide comprehensive and practical training that focuses on giving every student the confidence and knowledge to deal with potential problems they may meet on-site.

While we never like to think of the worst things happening, and great strides have been made with onsite safety over the last few decades, construction still does carry a certain level of risk and accidents do happen. That is why our first aid training is so important, giving you the knowledge to provide the all-important immediate care that a victim may need after suffering an accident. Studies have shown that those first few minutes after an accident before an ambulance can arrive can be crucial to the outcome in severe accidents and having the knowledge, and just important confidence to provide the necessary first aid can be significant.

Of course, most accidents that happen onsite are minor, and being able to treat a minor injury, or recognize something more serious, is again important both to an individual and to the site team and organization running the site.

There is another aspect of our first aid training that helps each of our students that experience it, and that is an increased awareness of the potential issues around them on site. Because first aid training prepares us for the results of accidents, we become more aware of the possibility of accidents, becoming proactive in safety rather than simply reacting if something goes wrong. This provides a safer working environment for everyone. indeed, it has been shown that sites become safer with an increased number of first-aid-trained staff on site.

We value our first aid training for this and many more reasons, and while we are diligent in providing the high-quality, comprehensive training that will make a difference, we also hope that this is the one skill we teach that our students never have to make use of. You can never be too prepared for an accident, and we ensure that our students do not just have the knowledge, but the ability to act on that knowledge when needed, to make a difference when called upon.