Prevent Costly Maintenance With a Heavy Equipment Inspection Checklist

This article covers the following topics:

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??

What Are the 3 Main Hazards Involved 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:

Mechanical Hazards

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.

Non-Mechanical Hazards

Aside from the moving components, the stored energy in these machines can pose danger when released. Some of these include:

• Fluids and gasses under pressure
• Dust
• Steam releases
• Explosive or flammable materials
• Heavy metals like mercury and lead
• Conducted heat

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.

Access Hazards

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:

• Authorized people who have access to hazardous areas
• The type of equipment in operation

By predicting and planning access control in advance, the lesser risk exposure is.

What Are Safety Rules for Heavy Equipment Using Specific Machinery?

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:

Excavators

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:

• Look out for the blind spot next to the boom arm
• Disengage the drive and lower the bucket when the machine is not in use
• Don’t operate horizontally to side slopes

Skid Steer Loaders

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:

• Wear your safety belts in any condition at any given time.
• Mount and dismount the machine using the grips and steps provided by the manufacturer.
• Exercise caution when moving forward and backward with a heavy load.

Motor Graders

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:

• Always look out for the blade width relative to obstructions and obstacles.
• Familiarize yourself with the steering frame lock-link settings and the wheel lean lock bolts.
• Be aware that overheated grader tires could explode violently.

Bulldozers

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:

• Avoid close slopes operation. Instead, work up and down on slopes.
• Keep the blade at least 15 inches above ground level when not in use.
• Take extra care when working in knock-down tree areas

Compactors

These machines come in different configurations like tandem vibrator rollers and soil compactors among others. Don’t forget these tips when operating a compactor:

• Check the machine thoroughly for leaks, damages, and looseness before using it.
• Use a spotter when operating the machine in congested areas to avoid unnecessary accidents.
• Get off the compactor using the appropriate handholds.

Why Use a Digital Inspection Report When Working With Heavy Equipment?

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:

• Use heavy equipment inspection form anytime, anywhere, and on any mobile device just using the app, even when you're offline.
• Easily document any issues by taking pictures and writing comments.
• Assign and track corrective and preventive actions to staff in real time.
• Solve problems faster by collaborating with the team through the app.
• Share the automatically generated inspection report with the appropriate personnel immediately upon completion for immediate action.
• Save all information securely in the cloud and access it at any time.