Making Your Heavy Construction Equipment Last As Long As PossibleMaking Your Heavy Construction Equipment Last As Long As Possible

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Making Your Heavy Construction Equipment Last As Long As Possible

Hi, my name is Jamie, and for close to twenty years, I had the challenging job of running a construction company. We had lots of heavy construction equipment at our disposal, and we faced huge loan payments and bills every time we had to buy new equipment. To help control our bottom line, I began to research strategies for lengthening the lifespan of heavy equipment. I discovered everything from covering equipment with tarps in the rain to training drivers to use the heavy construction equipment more carefully to better insuring equipment. If you are interested in these ideas, please take a look at these posts to see what I have discovered and learned over the years. Thanks for reading.

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Guidance on the Safe Operation of Access Equipment

29 January 2019
 Categories: , Blog

If you are planning to hire access equipment for your business, you will need to ensure that your staff understand how to operate it in a safe manner. This article contains guidance which will ensure that your workers are safe when using the equipment to access elevated areas. Read on to find out everything you need to know.

Check the condition of the ground

The first thing your staff will need to do is to check the condition of the ground on which they plan to use the access equipment. It is vital that the ground the equipment is set up on is stable. Ideally, the ground should be dry and level. However, this isn't always possible. If the ground is not dry or level, your staff will need to take additional steps to ensure the safe operation of the access equipment. If the ground contains a lot of moisture, your staff should place a layer of wood chips down to help to absorb excess moisture from the soil. If the ground is uneven, boards should be placed down over the area to create a platform from which the access equipment can be operated. If there is any doubt about the suitability of these methods to mitigate the problem, no work should be carried out until the ground has been properly drained and levelled off.

Wear safety gear

Whenever they are using access equipment, your workers should wear helmets and safety harnesses which provide a secure attachment to the work platform. If a worker falls, this safety gear will help to protect them from serious injury or death.

Check the condition of the roof

Once you are happy with the condition of the ground, you will need to inspect the condition of the roof or other elevated area you plan to access. A worker should ascend to the desired level but should not exit the access equipment. From the equipment, the worker needs to carry out a visual inspection of the space, looking out for any signs of damage or weakness. Signs of damage or weakness include:

  • Cracks
  • Sagging areas
  • Holes
  • Rust

If there are no visible signs of damage or weakness, the worker should proceed slowly onto the roof to test the structure.

If you would like to find out more about the safe operation of access equipment, you should speak to the hire company which provided the gear.