Working with and around heavy machinery exposes construction workers to risks of being in danger. These risks are also present with articulating dump trucks, hauling equipment, and dump trucks. Additionally, employees should constantly ensure they only utilize equipment on which they have received the necessary training and authorization. This impose an idea of discussing the benefits from safety meetings that the heavy equipment operators can get.
Holding regular safety meetings to remind heavy equipment operators, ground crew, and managers of the safety standards when operating on or near heavy equipment, mainly dump trucks, is crucial in ensuring all crew members are highly visible on the job site.
The following topics ought to be a content and the benefits from safety meetings.
- During dumping operations, dump trucks, their operators, and everyone standing or working nearby are at risk.
- When the operator lift the bed, the truck is more likely to overturn, especially when traveling through unsteady or mushy terrain.
- Always clean the area around the disposal site before having the operator lower the bed.
- Before lifting the bed, operators must constantly be on the lookout for potential overhead electricity lines!
- A canopy or cab shield is efficient for covering the operators while loading operations are taking place.
- Risks from being crushing are very high. There are numerous places on dump trucks where a person could become trapped, including underneath the bed, between the cab and body, the canopy, or the tailgate.
- A bed must have a support by a structure powerful enough to bear the load if any servicing, repair, or other work needs to be successful underneath it.
- Never enter a space beneath a raised dump bed without safety equipment to avoid an accident.
- If personnel is permitted under an open tailgate, they risk catastrophic danger. The weight of the tailgate might be close to half a ton, depending on the type of truck.
Source: weeklysafety