Heavy Equipment Safety Is An Issue For All Workers

Heavy equipment has been the focus of attention when it comes to safety for several years now. While operators require training that includes safety, onsite workers also have an obligation to act safely around heavy equipment. Work place health and safety training is now mandatory in many industries and where employers have failed to ensure their employees are trained, big fines are on offer.

When it comes to heavy equipment safety, there are several areas that are important to understand. These areas include:

Preservation of self – This is fairly obvious, the last thing any operator should do is act in a way that could put themselves in danger. An obvious example of this is when working around power lines – come into contact with one of those power lines and you could be in real trouble.

Safety of others – The majority of heavy equipment accidents involve injuries to people other than the operator. In some cases, it is the worker on the ground that hasn’t taken care. However, operators should be aware of everyone around them and be trained sufficiently well that they can take avoidance action should a situation become dangerous.

Safety of property – By far the number one result of accidents is damage to property. This includes buildings and vehicles. These accidents generally occur through sloppy work, often because an operator has misjudged a distance. Heavy equipment can cause tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage just through one simple error of judgment.

These accidents are all avoidable. Heavy equipment safety training is designed to cover all aspects of safety. This training is generally included as part of a person’s basic heavy equipment training program. In some states, an employee cannot start work onsite unless they have undertaken this training. If you are looking at heavy equipment training programs, be sure they have a good safety component – you may find it necessary when looking for employment.