There are frequent reports of people been killed as a result of site accidents during the course of heavy equipment transportation. These include the movement of loaders, surfacing machinery, tractors and bulldozers that are installed and operated on construction sites. The mishandling of these equipments often leads to fatal accidents. Events that might result in such fatal or near fatal experiences include:
- Workers moving around on foot can be struck by heavy equipment carriers, especially when they are changing direction or backing up
- Mechanics or operators are caught in the equipment or are run over at a time when the breaks are not yet set, wheel chocks have not been placed, the equipment is still in gear and the controls have not yet been locked
- The equipment is installed on an inclined plane and can roll down and injure or kill the operator of the equipment, when it is loaded or unloaded from a lowboy or a flatbed truck.
- Workers in a trench or on foot can be crushed by backhoe buckets, some movable parts or falling equipment loads.
It is necessary to exercise complete protection when using such equipments. Your responsibility also extends beyond this, as you need to protect others in the vicinity, pedestrians and fellow workers especially at the time of loading goods for heavy equipment shipping. For that, you need to ensure that:
- You do not backup until and unless you are sure of the fact that no one is behind the vehicle. Mirrors can be used whenever they are necessary.
- You can use barriers in order to separate the pedestrians and other workers on foot from the section meant for the movement of the equipments.
- Be careful about over speeding
- In addition, you need to be additionally careful about hills, curves, traffic and any other obstacle
You need to make sure that no other worker is allowed to ride on the equipment. At the time of loading/unloading of goods, it is necessary that no other personnel are allowed in the area except the ones who are in charge of the task.