First things first. Anyone who operates a piece of heavy equipment must be certified and trained to use it. That includes simply moving a piece of machinery to a new area – even if nothing more complex is required, we never allow an untrained operator into the cab of a piece of heavy machinery.

We make sure that all of our employees who operate heavy equipment have a completely comprehensive understanding of how the machine works, what to do in emergencies, and the proper safety steps they need to take while operating the equipment.

A damaged machine is a dangerous machine. If a critical component of a piece of heavy equipment fails while it’s being operated, this could lead to a very dangerous situation.

For example, if the brakes fail on a dump truck or another piece of heavy equipment while it’s moving at speed, it could cause significant damage to surrounding structure and equipment, and maim or kill workers.

We make sure that our equipment operators inspect the basics – such as brakes, fluid levels, tires, headlights, and so forth – every day.

We also hire a trained professional to service our equipment regularly.

There’s an old saying among Navy SEALs and special forces operators, regarding the importance of proper training and operation of firearms. “Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.”

This is equally applicable to operating a piece of construction equipment. Although, we would amend the saying as follows: slow is smooth, and smooth is fast – and safe.

Communication is key when operating heavy equipment. We make sure that all workers in the area know when a vehicle is occupied and in operation. Use a construction foreman and spotters to keep the danger areas around a vehicle clear – to keep workers away from the swept area of a front-end loader, for example.

We make the responsibility for communication clear among all equipment operators. In addition, create clear and comprehensive safety guidelines, procedures, and policies – and outline the penalties for breaching these procedures.

By communicating effectively on the job site, we’ll be able to make sure that our heavy machinery can be operated safely, and that there are no delays due to accidents or safety protocol breaches.

our team of equipment operators will be more efficient, and we’ll minimize the risk of an accident. We call that a win-win.

Construction sites are hazardous places, and there are many obstacles and other dangers that could be threatening to anyone who is distracted while walking – or operating a piece of machinery.

However, we expand this blanket policy to cover everyone operating a piece of machinery – and to every other worker on your site. Even if an equipment operator is vigilant and doing his job properly, another worker who is distracted could easily cause an accident.

Phone use should be confined only to break time and to areas outside of the construction site. This is the best way to minimize distractions – and potential harm to your workers.