At the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Describe the use of various types of personal protective equipment
- Describe the correct method to mount and dismount a machine
- Explain how to perform a walk around inspection
- Describe why seatbelt use is important
- Explain the difficulty of reduced visibility around heavy equipment
- Describe how to move equipment in tight spaces and when to use a spotter
- Explain the basic principles behind rigging a load to be lifted
- Describe how you can protect yourself from falls when working on elevated surfaces
- Explain the reason and techniques used to lockout and tag a piece of equipment prior to servicing
- Describe how to block or crib a machine that is going to be worked on
- Describe how to avoid injuring your back when lifting
The following key questions are answered in this module:
What is PPE and why is it necessary around heavy equipment?
Personal protective equipment (or PPE) includes anything you can wear to protect yourself from hazards and prevent injuries. This includes equipment to increase your visibility, protect your head, eyes, face, hearing, respiratory system, hands, feet, and body. It's important to wear appropriate PPE around heavy equipment.
What does it mean to maintain three points of contact when mounting or dismounting?
This means that at all times you have either two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand in contact with a support.
What is the purpose of a walk-around inspection?
A walk-around inspection should be performed before each shift and it can help identify serious problems or minor problems.
What is the purpose of wearing a seat belt when operating heavy equipment?
Heavy equipment operators should always wear their seat belt. They help keep the operator inside the rollover protection structure in the event of a problem (ROPS).
What is a spotter?
A spotter is a second person who stands outside the machine and has a good view of the machine and its surroundings. The spotter can communicate, using hand signals, with the operator of the machine about how to best proceed.
What is lockout/tagout?
The term lockout/tagout refers to a set of procedures and actions intended to protect employees by shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing a machine or piece of equipment to control hazardous energy release.
Below is a transcript of the video sample provided for this module:
Prior to actually setting rigging, it is important for the rigger and machine operator to establish and maintain good communication. The consequences of the rigger having their hand under a sling that is unexpectedly tensioned up against a load by the machine operator could be disastrous. There are some important points that should be observed while setting up the rigging. The capacity of the lift sling, or slings, must exceed the weight of the item to be lifted. If a sling is not vertical, its vertical lift capacity is reduced. The more horizontal the leg of lift is, the more its capacity is reduced.
Use the additional resources and links below to learn more about this topic:
- U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) – www.osha.gov
- OSHA Safety and Health Topics - https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/hurricane/heavy-equip.html
- Caterpillar Safety Services – www.safety.cat.com
- Caterpillar Safety Services Heavy Construction - https://safety.cat.com/cda/layout?m=129926