We hear it from the time we are small: warnings about the possibility of falling when we are in a hurry. When the location is a large piece of heavy equipment, rushing to get on or off always has the potential for an accident. Adding wintry conditions and bulky clothing increases the possibility into a probability.

The Main Cause of Falls From Heavy Equipment

Gravity.

That isn’t a funny comment, that’s the truth. If you think that losing your balance or slipping will not result in going down, you are not thinking clearly. Unless you are working on the space station in zero gravity, you have to keep your mind on what you are doing when climbing up or down a giant machine because the ground is far enough away to hurt when you hit. Add the torque of catching your clothing on a snag or banging into metal while you fall and the results are painful. They also are job- or life-threatening.

Gravity Rules You Can’t Ignore

When you get your heavy equipment operator training at a reputable school like ATS, one of the big themes you hear repeated is safety. The rules regarding heavy equipment safety have been developed through sad experience. See if you can imagine what happens if one of these rules is ignored:

• 3 points of contact at all times when getting on or off 
• pre-trip inspection for loose bolts or icy surfaces
• use the handrails and steps on the equipment; never jump off
• face the equipment when getting on or off
• never get on or off a moving piece of equipment
• keep cabs clean and uncluttered
• wear non-slip boots

Each one of these rules has a story behind it, told by countless operators who learned the hard way that gravity always wins.

What is the cost of not paying attention to what you are doing? Sometimes that cost isn’t much, because you are sitting in a chair at home zoning out during a commercial. But if you are sitting in the driver’s seat on the job, the price of not paying attention can be far higher than anyone wants to pay.

When a heavy equipment operator isn’t paying attention to what they are doing, bad things can happen. Most of your training at ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Training School will have safety rules repeated over and over again. Your teachers will be discussing what can happen, talking about why that rule applies, and sharing stories of what they’ve experienced. In a lot of ways, you’ll think that safety is being talked about too much.

But there’s a reason why ATS has a reputation for training some of the best heavy equipment operators around, and that reason is the high standards of performance our graduates are taught. Part of the high standards of performance are safety standards that have been repeated so many times they become automatic.

Even if you aren’t paying attention, if safety is a habit, then you’ll be more apt to stay safe on the job. But the best idea is to pay attention to all you’ve been taught and the conditions you are working in. Paying attention to what’s going on around you, to where your machine is and your blind spots, will keep everybody safe.

Heavy equipment is too big for a mistake to be minor most of the time. Mistakes are costly, and that’s why the best heavy equipment operators pay attention to what they are doing even when it’s routine.