It may sound strange, but soil type knowledge is one of the most important skills an excavator operator can acquire. Soils are not the same – that’s fairly obvious, but what I mean by that statement is that soils react very differently when being excavated. Knowing how they are going to act is an essential skill for an excavator operator.

Digging a trench in sandy soil is very different to digging in clay-based soils. Most clay-based soils tend to stick so it is fairly easy to dig trenches with walls. Sandy soils don’t stick so the walls will tend to fall back into the trench. This often means the trench needs to be wider thus creating more work.

You have the many soil types in between, each reacting slightly different to each other. And that’s not the end of the story. Soil can be made in layers and can include rock, which, in itself, is another set of knowledge. You can learn a lot about soil when you first undertake excavator training. However, it is experience that fine tunes that initial knowledge.

The next time you look at any heavy equipment operator, look beyond the basic skill of working levers and pedals. There is a set of skills based on understanding soils, rock types and often a variety of attachments for their equipment to deal with differing soils. Add to that the knowledge of safety and heavy equipment maintenance and you have highly skilled operators.

Excavators are only one type of heavy equipment, but they have become essential tools to our construction industry. As tools, they require highly skilled operators that have received their excavator training through a professional and accredited training provider.

The need for quality crane operator training has become important in recent years. It seems that 2008 was one of the worst years on record when it comes to crane accidents. However, it could have been worse. A recent story on CraneBlogger highlights the need for well trained operators, operators who work closely with their equipment and can almost sense when something is wrong.

Can you imagine sitting in a crane over 33 floors up, and having that crane topple over the side? It has happened in the past, hopefully it won’t into the future, yet for one operator, that was almost the story. Here is what happened:

The crane operator had an unloaded hook. He’s running the crane when he hears a loud bang and feels movement from what feels like the tower. He stops to assess what has caused it.

I won’t go into all the details of what was wrong. What was important is that the operator was aware of what was normal and what wasn’t. Let’s face it, on a construction site there is a lot of noise. A lot of banging, a lot of shouting and the sound of power tools everywhere. This operator heard a loud bang. I would suggest that as well as ‘hearing’ the bang, he also ‘felt’ the bang. And he stopped.

That last is the most important. He stopped, got out and went and had a look. From the story, it seems he couldn’t readily see any problems. That didn’t stop him reporting it and getting an engineer in to check. Fortunately, for him, he did. It appears the crane was effectively standing on only three legs and could have gone over the side at any time.

It is only through quality crane operator training that individuals can be prepared to work safely on construction sites. Whilst safety is always a prime concern, one of the best safety factors around is the knowledge an operator builds of their equipment. This is almost like having a sixth sense. As an operator, you are at one with the machine and can feel immediately when something starts to wrong. Get the best in crane operator training and you are well on the road to a safe working career.

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.

Training on loaders used to be so boring. It often relied on you simply spending hours on end moving a pile of earth from A to B and when you were finished, moving it back again. These days, training on loaders has become far more interesting and doesn’t just rely on building hours in a loader operator’s seat.

When you undertake loader training now you find the course far more comprehensive and interesting than in years gone by. There is a requirement for you to undertake safety training – a requirement that could prevent you from entering a construction site unless you have completed it.

Safety of course is one issue. Now, when you get out into the field and work as a loader operator you are expected to know a lot more than just how to move that pile of dirt. There are basic, and sometimes not so basic, general equipment maintenance tasks and inspections that need to be undertaken – often on a daily basis.

Loader training now goes beyond simply operating a loader. Most heavy equipment training programs also include instruction on other machines such as a bulldozer, grader and backhoe. For the student, this has several benefits. First, and most importantly, you are not restricted to just one machine. You can obtain employment operating a much wider range of equipment.

Even if you wanted to specialize on a loader, knowing how other equipment works, what their limitations are and how they handle gives you a much better understanding of that equipment when they are working around you on a construction or mining site.

Today’s construction sites are often very different to those of the past. Operators move between various types of heavy equipment, particularly when construction is going on around the clock. If you’re looking for wheel loader training then contact the very best in the business – ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools. We will get you started in the career of your choice.

I read a report a little while ago that claimed there were three major causes of workplace accidents involving heavy equipment. The first was lack of adequate training, the second was lack of experience and the third was, lack of adequate training. I know, You are going to say I have repeated myself.

That quote is right however. There is operational training and their is safety training. Whilst the two go hand in hand – they are also completely separate. We can train you to operate heavy equipment. You can find employment and get the experience, however with out that added dimension of safety training, you will not know how to avoid potentially dangerous situations. More importantly, you will not know how to remove yourself from that situation.

Workplace health and safety are becoming compulsory in almost every work environment in almost every state in almost every country. You see, there is a worldwide trend to reduce workplace accidents. Employers don’t need them, they slow down production. Employees don’t need them, they have the potential to affect pay packets and lifestyle.

At ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools we acknowledge the need to include safety training as part of your training program so we include accredited safety training. What is the fourth cause of accidents, poor maintenance. Guess what? We include basic preventative maintenance in the training as well.

Heavy equipment operators have a huge responsibility on their shoulders. They are sitting behind the controls of equipment that is often valued at more than half a million dollars. The tires on these vehicles can be valued in the 10’s of thousands of dollars. And that is just the equipment.

Operators of heavy equipment are also responsible for preparing, and often finishing, the roads we drive on, the houses we live in and the buildings we work and play in. If these operators failed in the jobs then there it is possible the buildings would fall down around our ears. Fortunately, heavy equipment operators are well trained and inspection regimes are in place to ensure the job is done properly.

Whilst operating the equipment, operators also have a duty of care to their fellow workers, other equipment and of course other property and buildings. Heavy equipment can often have blind spots that the operator needs to be aware of and take into account whilst working.

The better trained a heavy equipment operator is, the less problems there are when it comes to safety, quality of work and machinery maintenance and life span. Owners of heavy equipment now recognize the need to employ workers who are trained and often work with training organizations to develop minimum training standards.

Training organizations such as ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools gain accreditation to deliver training to these standards. Employers then look to employ those who have been trained within ATS in the knowledge that those who have graduated can work to the minimum standards required.

Gain your training through ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools and you may find you get preferred in the employment application process to those who have not had formal training.

We live in an age where most businesses try to maximize the returns on their investments. With heavy equipment, sometimes the best return on your investment is use the one machine – one operator philosophy. This philosophy includes a rider towards the operator – it the machine isn’t working, neither are you!

This philosophy places the onus of the machines well being fairly and squarely on the operator. Look after the heavy equipment, keep it maintained, don’t push it beyond it’s limits and ensure it has all the right fluids and the machine will run well between major servicing. If you don’t look after it, keep it clean, if you are rough and reckless in it’s operation, and fail to ensure it has all the right lubricants, it is going to be constantly in the repair shop. While it is, your at home not earning.

Is it fair. In the long run, yes. Most of the time you are working away from any supervision. There is no one there to watch you and you know it. If you are rough with the machine and it breaks down, it is your fault. It will cost your employer to not only get the heavy equipment repaired, they may have to source a replacement machine (and operator) to get the job done.

Treat the heavy equipment properly and it wont break down. That will keep you employed and get the job done. This is where good training comes in. Training that not only shows you how to operate the machinery, but also what to look for when you inspect the equipment and what danger signs to look for when operating the equipment.

At ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools we recognize the need for comprehensive training that does more than just teach you which levers to pull and buttons to push. We train you in preventative maintenance, safety and of course how to operate the heavy equipment.

Some people are just born to be drivers. I know I was. I could spend all day driving, whether it is around town or out on the open highway. Come holiday time, my family knows we are going on a trip. We hit the road and just drive; of course I stop occasionally so the family can see the sights. In reality, I should have been a truck driver, my wife says a long distance one at that.

If your like me then perhaps a career as a truck driver may just be an option you should look into. The work itself is not too grueling, the conditions fairly good and the pay quite reasonable as well. All you need is your Class-A Commercial Driver License to begin with.

To gain a Class-A Commercial Driver License you need to satisfy the licensing body that you are competent behind the wheel and that you know all the road rules and safety laws related to truck driving.

The ATS Heavy Equipment Training School’s truck driving program can deliver all that. With 40 years experience in training truck drivers, they certainly have history behind them. They have also got over 10,000 trucking companies nationwide in its job placement database. With that history they must be doing everything right.

ATS uses both in-class training, when it comes to road rules and safety requirements; and in-vehicle training to provide you with all the knowledge and experience required to gain your Class-A Commercial Drivers License.

One of the most important aspects of operating heavy equipment is safety. Your own safety as well as the safety of others. Heavy equipment operators need to have situational awareness at all times. Your safety, the safety of your fellow employees, and the safety of the general public are all equal concerns. One slip up and you could cost thousands of lives.

Heavy equipment operators can perform all kinds of feats in all kinds of situations. Not every job will be a super dangerous mission. But there are jobs that you will attempt with your heavy equipment that border on dangerous and keeping safety in mind while you operate is an essential choice.

ATS Heavy Equipment School offers courses on equipment safety to give operators an overview of the dangers involved in heavy equipment operation and to help you make long-term decisions for your own welfare as well as the welfare of others. When you take an ATS course in heavy equipment operation safety, you can bet that you have the latest and the best information that will make you a better operator and keep the work place safe for a long time.

Whether you drive a dump truck or merely work around them, it is important to remember that they have the potential to be dangerous. There is a tendency for even experienced dump truck drivers to do things the easy way rather than the safe way. A dump truck is a piece of heavy equipment and should always be treated with the respect and care it deserves.

Accidents should not occur around dump trucks, sadly they are quite common. The following example is taken from a public health report on the University of Iowa website:

During the fall of 1999, a 53-year-old construction worker was killed after he unloaded sand from a dump truck. He partially raised the box of his truck to dump out a portion of wet sand at a work location, then leaned under the box to manually trip the hydraulic linkage to bring the box down. The hydraulic linkage was located at the hydraulic pump, behind the cab between the main frames of the truck. This action was apparently a habit to save some time from walking around the truck to push the dump lever inside the truck cab. However, this time, because of the heavy load of sand, and because the box was only partially raised, the truck box came down immediately pinning the man between the box and the frame of the dump truck. The man suffered massive head injuries and was dead at the scene. The deceased truck driver had several years of experience with machinery and was the lead man for the small construction company.

If you do a Google search for “dump truck safety” you will be surprised at the amount of similar case studies that you are able to find. While there are cases of equipment failure, most of the fatalities and serious injuries would have been avoided had the dump truck driver followed standard safety protocols. Everyone likes to get the job done efficiently, but few would argue that the few extra seconds that it takes to operate the box from the proper controls are worth risking one’s life over.

If you are thinking about learning how to drive a dump truck and are interested in learning more, contact us at Associated Training Services.