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Excavators are prone to tipping on slopes. Avoid injuries and expensive repairs with a skilled operator!
If you’re about to begin working on a home renovation project, and you’ve decided hiring an excavator will make the work move along faster, you may want to consider the safety aspects. While it’s true that excavators make your life easier, you’re at risk of hurting yourself if you’re not trained to operate it. Injuries related to excavators range between minor bumps and bruises, through to fatalities.
1. Being struck by a moving machine
The chances are, you won’t be completing your renovation project alone. Whether you’re the person driving the excavator or someone else is, there’s a risk of being struck by the machine while it’s moving. Professionals trained in excavator use know which checks to perform before moving a machine, and they’re aware of blind spots.
2. Hiring an excavator poses the risk of being hit by moving parts
From booms through to buckets, hiring an excavator places you at risk of coming into contact with multiple moving parts. Again, trained professionals know which checks to perform before moving the excavator’s mechanics. In addition, they know how to operate the controls so that sudden swings do not result in injuries to nearby persons.
3. Quick disconnect excavator buckets can evacuate unexpectedly
Do you know how to attach a quick disconnect excavator bucket so that it stays in place? And do you know which mechanisms will trigger it to disconnect without warning? In the U.S., the CDC has compiled a report of people being struck by quick disconnect excavator buckets, and the fatality rates are high.
4. Excavators can rollover, without warning
You might be forgiven for thinking that familiarity with other forms of machinery means you’re able to operate an excavator smoothly. Unfortunately, wrong turns can result in rollovers, especially when you’re moving through rough terrain. As many excavators are high up, there’s a serious risk of injury.
5. Electrocution injuries are possible
While electrocution injuries are mercifully rare when using excavators, they are possible. This is especially the case when you don’t have an intricate knowledge of the area you’re working in, and possible sources of electricity you can collide with. Electrocution injuries aren’t always fatal, but they can be if there isn’t a rapid response.
6. Unexpected sinkholes and cave ins
Again, being unfamiliar with the terrain you’re working on places you at risk of encountering numerous hazards. Sinkholes are particularly troublesome, as once the machine enters them, exiting it and working your way back out is very challenging. Professionals who know how to operate excavators also know how to recognize when the ground is about to cave in. In addition, there’s a risk of injury when falling into trenches.
7. Hands can get caught in the machinery
If you’re tinkering with the excavator to attach parts or reattach them, there’s always a risk of hand crush injuries. Trained professionals have a sound knowledge of the practices required to prevent this from happening. This means they’re less likely to endanger themselves when attending to the machinery.
As there’s great scope for injury when using an excavator, using a hire service that comes with a trained professional is essential. As well as making the machine safer, this also means the work is completed faster, and with greater accuracy. Not only could you save your life, you’re saving time and money.
