If you work in or around excavators, make sure you follow the rules and procedures we’ve developed over the years.
Tucker Paving provides site clearing, excavation, demolition, and underground utilities—in addition to concrete and asphalt paving—so we have excavators on our worksites daily. They’re digging, tearing down structures, handling materials, and…presenting a hazard on the jobsite. OSHA reported that between 2015 and 2020, there were nearly 100 excavator incidents, and 45% of those incidents included fatalities. We’ve been in the construction industry for 30 years, and we’ve got some tried-and-true rules for working safely around excavators.
Safety Tips for Working With or Near Excavators
These tips are shared with our crews during morning meetings to remind our employees that their safety is always our #1 priority, and that we want everyone to go home safe and sound at the end of the day. Our rules and procedures for working around and near excavators include:
- Leave space around a working excavator. No matter whether you are driving a truck, operating equipment, or walking, give excavators a wide berth.
- Know an excavator’s swing radius and stay out of it until you know the operator sees you and understands your intentions.
- Never walk under a bucket.
- Operators should never allow anyone to be under the bucket.
- Operators should only make predictable movements. Unpredictable, abrupt movements are more likely to cause an accident.
- Using a designated spotter is a must anytime a track-hoe is operated within 15 feet of overhead obstructions, especially power lines.
- Tasks, like sawing pipe, should be done away from the swing radius of the machine when possible.
We have 30 years of experience in the construction industry, We complete projects for residential, commercial, and municipal clients, and safety is always our primary concern on any jobsite!. Contact us by calling (863) 299-2262, or use our contact form online. How can we help you with your next project?