Safety: Learning To Operate A Bulldozer

Bulldozers are awesome machines. Equipped with a huge bucket on one end, they’re useful when you have huge loads of dirt or other material that you need to push out of the way. On construction sites, you’ll often see large piles of debris – usually material removed from a structure during tear down or scraps during the building phase of a project. These can sometimes be in the way. You have to learn how to move them.

That’s when a bulldozer comes in handy. However, the operator needs to take special precautions because operating a bulldozer can be dangerous.

For safety reasons, only qualified operators should be allowed to work the machine controls. In fact, if you haven’t been trained to use a bulldozer, you shouldn’t even get behind the wheel. If you do get into the operator’s seat, be sure to wear your seatbelt. They have them for a reason.

When you have an operator in the seat of a bulldozer, you should have a ground guide in the vicinity. This serves as another set of eyes and ears to watch for obstacles, pedestrians, moving vehicles, and other distractions.

One big mistake new operators often make is attempting to push materials that are overhead, or working on a structure that is taller than the bulldozer. This is a big no-no. You can move overhead material enough to cause it to fall right on top of you. Then you or someone else could be fatally injured. It’s a huge safety hazard to use a bulldozer on anything over your head.

When you’re ready to learn how to operate a bulldozer safely, give Heavy Equipment School a call.