Two safety tips for earthmoving contractors who need to work during a period of wet weather

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Optimising the Use of Heavy Construction Equipment

Welcome to my blog. My name is Rick. I have moved a few times throughout the last few years and one of my biggest goals each time is to redo my landscaping and change up my lawn and garden. When I look at a piece of land, I can see perfectly how it could be developed and built upon. I have spent a great deal of time learning about earthmoving and construction. I have decided to start this blog so that I can share important information about heavy construction equipment and how it's used in landscaping and development. I hope my articles, which cover a wide range of industry topics, will answer any questions you may have.

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Two safety tips for earthmoving contractors who need to work during a period of wet weather

20 December 2018
 Categories: , Blog


If you're an earthmoving contractor and you are due to carry out a project during a period when wet weather is expected to occur, here are some safety tips that you should keep in mind.

Don't allow workers on the ground to stand close to the earthmoving equipment

One of the biggest issues that earthmoving contractors face when operating earthmoving equipment in wet weather is trying to cope with how soft and unstable the rain can make the ground on which they need to work. This lack of stability can increase the chances of the excavator or bulldozer tilting to one side and then tipping over.

If you want to minimise the number of people that would get hurt if this type of incident were to occur, you should instruct those working on the ground to stay several feet away from the equipment at all times. This will ensure that they do not end up being trapped underneath the machinery if it does turn over.

If you want to further reduce the risk of workers on the ground getting hurt in this manner, you may want to place some high-visibility reflective tape around the area where the equipment will be used, as this will act as a visual guide that will help them to determine how close they can get to the machinery without risking their own safety.

Operate the machinery at a slower pace than you normally would

When you're performing earthmoving work on a wet, cold and miserable day, it can be tempting to rush through it in order to get home as quickly as possible.

However, if you want to ensure that neither you nor your co-workers sustain injuries, it is important not to do this. Instead, you should actually aim to operate the machinery at a slower pace than you usually would. The dark clouds that tend to accompany periods of wet weather coupled with the endless stream of raindrops that will land on the windscreen of the equipment's cab will make it hard for you and any other equipment operators to see very clearly (even with the equipment's wipers on).

If you operate the machinery in a rushed manner when visibility is poor, you could end up hurting someone. For example, you could end up knocking someone over when speedily driving the bulldozer across the site (because you couldn't see them through your rain-soaked windscreen).