4 Safety Tips for Heavy Equipment Operators

You rely on your heavy equipment to keep your business rolling. However, unsafe worksite practices can cause more harm than good. Rollovers, back-overs, and collisions are dangerous, but you can easily prevent them at your job site. Don’t worry about where to begin—we can help!

R & M Equipment is your local heavy equipment dealership in Alabama. Our experts have created this guide to help you stay safe when operating heavy machinery. Read on to learn more, and for more information, swing by our dealership for a friendly chat with our team.

1. Familiarize Yourself with the Equipment

Being familiar with the machine you’re operating helps boost your confidence in working with their tools safely. Ideally, familiarize yourself with your heavy equipment's controls, parts, and functions and learn a few basic repairs. This will help keep your machine functioning safely and efficiently.

2. Conduct Proper Pre-Operations Inspection

You’ll also want to perform a pre-operation inspection before starting your machine. This way, you can spot and fix hidden issues before they worsen. A faulty part can damage the equipment and put your safety at risk, so avoid this by checking the oil, hydraulic fluids, braking system, fuel, and overall wear and tear. Make sure your machine’s electrical system functions smoothly, especially if you plan to work in dim-light conditions.

3. Wear Proper Safety Gear

One of the simplest but often overlooked safety tips is wearing protective gear, including hard hats, safety goggles, earplugs, gloves, and boots. These items can help protect you from hazards such as flying debris, loud noises, and chemicals.

4. Stay Alert and Pay Attention

Operating heavy equipment demands your complete attention. Any distractions can increase the risk of accidents. Exercise caution while working with heavy equipment and encourage other operators to stay focused. You’ll want to look out for pedestrians, workers, and other equipment around you and keep any hydraulic arms lowered to the ground when moving from spot to spot on your work site.

We hope these tips help you stay safe when operating heavy equipment. If you need more advice or are still searching for affordable machines for your job site, contact R & M Equipment. We have locations in Birmingham and Trinity, AL, so visit the one nearest to you!