A heavy equipment checklist helps to maintain specialized equipment to identify, maintain, and repair any issues that might jeopardize the safety of workers.
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A heavy equipment inspection checklist is a tool used to identify, assess, and verify any issues and corrective actions performed on the specialized equipment. The checklist ensures that you don’t forget any critical tasks. It also allows you to take notes and photos and give recommendations.
Checklists will vary depending on the equipment that will be evaluated. However, certain safety steps are universal and can be incorporated into any type of checklist. Here are some of them:
1. What are the 3 main hazards involved when working with Heavy Equipment?
2. What are safety rules for heavy equipment using specific machinery?
3. Why use a digital inspection report when working with heavy equipment??
Operating heavy machinery comes with various risks. To reduce and prevent injuries and accidents related to heavy equipment operation, workers should be aware of the risks and hazards that surround them. Mitigating potential dangerous conditions is another step to make the workplace safer.
There are three primary hazard categories when working around heavy equipment:
Heavy construction equipment has several moving parts. When the machines are not in use, they are relatively safe and stable. When they are in use, however, they release enormous power and are capable of creating serious damage.
Individuals working around these machines should watch out for moving parts that could reach them. Heavy equipment could also release objects and hit someone. Common mechanical hazards include sharp edges, rotating shafts, detachable connections, colliding surfaces, and more. Risks associated with these hazards include severing, puncturing, entanglement, slips, falls, and crushing.
Aside from the moving components, the stored energy in these machines can pose danger when released. Some of these include:
Exposure to these non-mechanical hazards can cause burns, lung problems, and long-term illnesses such as cancer. Then the potential noise hazard that these heavy machines generate can damage the ears.
Many workplace deaths and injuries occur when workers have unsafe access where this heavy machinery operates. The absence of safe access can trap and expose workers to both mechanical and non-mechanical hazards. However, accidents and injuries can be avoided and prevented by placing safeguards, proper planning, and increasing employees’ risk awareness.
To further mitigate access hazards, consider the following factors and include them in your heavy equipment inspection report:
By predicting and planning access control in advance, the lesser risk exposure is.
Heavy machinery has different categories and equipment types. Most of the safety tips apply to all machines, but some precautions only apply to specific devices. Here are some safety tips for the most common heavy equipment machines:
These machines are used across the construction industry. Most of them are track-equipped, but there are some with rubber tires. Excavators come in different sizes, from giant machines that move yards of material per bucket to smaller ones used in narrow places. If you are operating or working around excavators:
These machines are versatile and highly maneuverable. They are mainly used to move different materials of various sizes. Skid steers are not difficult to operate, and learning how to manage them isn’t as complicated as the other machines. However, any errors running them can cause serious injury. To ensure safety when working around them, don’t forget to:
A common machine in construction sites, motor graders are used for beveling, angling, and smoothing finished grades. If not handled correctly, they could be extremely dangerous. So remember the following steps when working around motor graders:
These mighty earthmovers can push a massive amount of materials. And just like any heavy equipment machines, bulldozers deserve respect when operating and working around them. Don’t forget to include these safety tips in your heavy equipment inspection checklist:
These machines come in different configurations like tandem vibrator rollers and soil compactors among others. Don’t forget these tips when operating a compactor:
Paperwork on the job site is annoying and can mean a long trip to the office. A digital tool like Lumiform makes it easier to access and secure documents and share information about discovered incidents during inspections. This not only saves time but also increases safety when handling heavy equipment.
Any workplace with heavy equipment should place special emphasis on complying with regulations and taking steps to protect workers and the environment. A cost-effective and reliable inspection solution like Lumiform is the right solution.
With Lumiform's mobile app and desktop software, safety officers and employees benefit from the following features during heavy equipment inspections:
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