The construction industry utilizes a number of heavy machineries for excavating, lifting and transporting materials. These machines are crucial to the timely and proper completion of projects which would otherwise take many years to build. However, the same machines are also responsible for causing injuries, some severe and fatal, and must be handled with care.
Seasoned heavy machinery operators know exactly what to do, how to avoid accidents and how to skillfully use equipment to hasten productivity. But every once in a while, attention may wander, hearing and visibility may be compromised or new operators may be unfamiliar with a piece of equipment.
The safety plan for heavy machine operators will vary depending on what type of equipment is used. However, there are basic rules laid down for all operators irrespective of what environment they're working in and what machine they're operating.
Wearing safety gear
Safety gear can consist of gloves, glasses, steel-toed boots, hats and masks. The work may be seemingly minor but the use of heavy equipment on construction sites generates a lot of pollutants, some of which can cause skin and eye irritation and respiratory infections. These aside from more obvious threats like having something heavy fall on them or a sharp tool causing cuts and worse.
Regular machine inspection
The donning of safety gear will be for naught if the machineries themselves malfunction. A visual inspection followed by a physical inspection before and after use of heavy equipment should be performed at all times even if it's to be used only for a few minutes and for minor tasks. Any damage must be repaired and any changes to the equipment before and after use logged and presented to facilitate repair work.
This simple step can greatly minimize risks and if a habit can be cultivated, workers, the management and the credibility of the company will witness a better safety record.
Complying with instructions
As powerful as heavy equipment may be, they're designed to bear certain weights which must not be exceeded on any account. Likewise, machines are designed for certain tasks and should not be used to perform other work even if superiors give the go-ahead. The instructions are there for a reason and serve as a warning and a guide to operator safety.
Establishing signals and signs
Construction sites generate high decibels of noise and when machinery is running it's impossible to hear what others are saying. But since communication is necessary, there should be a set way to convey instructions and warnings without speaking. Hand signals are the next best thing if two-way radios are not being used. As such, management should make efforts to train workers in signaling.
Similarly, warning signs must be placed where necessary to alert workers to steer clear of danger zones. They must be installed not only where heavy machinery is being operated but where changing conditions are observed in certain zones.
Establishing a clear, wide path
Heavy equipment needs a wide berth for operation. Ground workers who don't need to be present should be made to leave. Every year, workers are crushed by heavy equipment, pinned between them or struck by components like backhoes. More times than most, it's people who are in the way who suffer the most. So unless they need to be present at the time of operating heavy equipment, operators and their machines should always be given a wide berth.
