Category Archives: Safety Checklist

Engineer talking on radio at construction site on a hot day
Engineer talking on radio at construction site on a hot day

Summer and other hot weather periods are seriously dangerous seasons for construction staff. Many of the dangers aren’t obvious and it’s worth taking the time to understand and avoid the risks. We’ve put together some tips for onsite workers to make summer a lot safer.

Understanding the Risk Factors and How to Manage Them

Heat can be debilitating. It affects your metabolism and over-exposure can cause heat stress and in some cases medical conditions.

These are the major risks and ways of managing them:

 

  • Hydration: The body uses up water much more rapidly in hot weather. If you dehydrate, you can experience serious issues like kidney stones, due to lack of water in the body. Lack of hydration can also affect salt levels, which can affect your digestion and bodily functions. Drink cool water, preferably not with sugar additives, regularly. Avoid excessive salty food, which can affect hydration levels.

 

  • Avoid caffeine and alcohol! Caffeine and alcohol speed up your metabolism and can cause runaway sweating, which is a hydration risk. Both are also well-known diuretics, causing water loss just when you need water most. Don’t drink either, particularly high caffeine drinks with a lot of sugar in them. Stick to water, which refreshes without side effects.

 

  • Heat exposure: The longer you’re out in the heat, the more you’re exposed to the effects. Don’t work in the hot sun for long periods of time and use shade to cover the workspace. Shade makes a big difference in hot weather, reducing heat exposure and improving working conditions. Use shade wherever possible to minimise the negative effects of heat. Use covered vehicles and schedule work in exposed areas for cooler times of the day. In extreme heat, there’s no safe level of exposure. Put your staff on other duties, out of the heat.

 

  • Heat exhaustion: Heat exhaustion is caused by over-exposure to heat. The body may experience cramps, and in some cases, heat prostration or heat stroke. These can be serious medical conditions and there’s no good reason for risking them. These conditions are easily avoidable with simple precautions like managing shade, drinking water, rescheduling work and simply avoiding exposure.

 

  • Food risks: High protein and fatty foods affect hydration levels. The body uses water to process protein and fat generates high calories counts, which is also not good for your metabolism in hot weather. Eat vegetables like celery, tomatoes, and fruits, which have pure water in them and don’t add to the calorie count.

 

  • Glare and dust: These problems cause real fatigue, breathing issues, and generally reduce efficiency. It’s hard to focus when you’re being affected by glare and choked by dust. You have to work harder, which in hot weather means you get tired more quickly. Use proper sunglasses and masks to avoid these issues.

 

Contact us for the Latest Equipment

Allclass Construction Equipment works with Australian businesses in all types of weather. We know how tough it can be working in a Queensland summer.  If you’re looking for the latest construction equipment for hot weather, browse our range of fully covered mini excavators and other equipment. You can call us or contact us online to discuss your needs.

Yellow diamond safety sign with large black exclamation mark
Yellow diamond safety sign with large black exclamation mark

Trailer safety is not a compromise, especially when you’re towing a trailer with an excavator. While it might seem like common sense to drive safely when towing, there’s a lot more to it when you’re carrying a heavy load. We have some tips and pointers for you to help you manage your trailer safely on the road.

Critical Safety Tips

The bottom line with trailer safety is making sure your trailer is secure and safe on the road. You need to cover all the angles:

  • Safety chains: Whatever load you’re carrying, you may need one or more safety chains depending on the loaded weight of the trailer.  Chains must comply with Australian Standards as specified under relevant regulations and guidelines from the state traffic authority. Safety chains must be connected to the towbar.

 

  • Towbars: Towbars must be rated to at least the weight of the load. Underweight towbars are major risks on the road; they can’t manage the heavier load and may even detach while driving.

 

  • Braking systems: Braking systems may or may not be legally required for lighter weight loads, but they’re good value for safety on the road. Best practice is to have a braking system that is operable from the driver’s seat.

 

  • Towing vehicle requirements: The vehicle must not carry loads over the manufacturer’s rated towing capacity and the trailer’s towing capacity. If you try to haul a trailer over either the vehicle or the trailer’s capacity, there are very serious risks of instant failure.

 

  • Rear marker plates: If your trailer is over 7.5m long, you must have a Do Not Overtake Turning Vehicle plate attached to the trailer. This is also a useful reminder to following vehicles that you’re driving a long trailer with a turning curve slower than they are, so it’s well worth fitting these plates.

 

Safe Towing: Things to Look Out for on the Road

Anyone who’s ever towed a heavy load will tell you that you can actually feel load problems within seconds of starting. The above points are the simplest ways to ensure that your vehicle and trailer perform well.

Major issues with a towed load include:

 

  • The sluggish or erratic performance of a trailer on bends in the road: This indicates that the trailer is lagging behind and that it may drift outwards or inwards towards traffic or the road edge. The trailer can also act as a counterweight, pulling against or away from the direction of your vehicle’s movement. At the first sign of performance issues, check the trailer.

 

  • Steering issues caused by the load: If the towing vehicle isn’t responding properly to steering, the load may be unsafe. The risk is that you may not be able to respond quickly enough to traffic movements or sudden events. Don’t take any risks with an unpredictable steering situation; you need a bigger, better trailer to manage the load.

 

Talk to Allclass Construction Equipment

If you’d like some expert help with trailer safety, or you’re looking for a new trailer to upgrade your mobility, Allclass Construction Equipment is your local source for top quality trailers. Call us or contact us online and speak to our experts.

Engineers going through a safety checklist
Engineers going through a safety checklist

Before your start operating any machinery, you must perform certain pre-start inspection checks. These checks can help you to prevent accidents on the work site and avoid unnecessary downtime. As well as this, they will enhance the overall life of your equipment!

As well as performing the necessary safety inspections, you should also maintain strict servicing schedules. Routine maintenance will prolong the life of your equipment and reduce operational costs. Always record the results of safety checks so you can refer to them if the need arises.

A Safety Checklist for Your Work Equipment

  • Walk around the equipment and check the work area. Make sure there’s enough space for the machine to carry out its work.
  • Before turning on the equipment, inspect the boom, the dipper arm, and the bucket. Look for any cracks or dents. Make sure the locking pin and the safety clip are in the right position.
  • Inspect the undercarriage area. Check the sprockets, idler wheels, track links, and rollers. Look for signs of wear and tear.
  • Next, check the hydraulic fluid and coolant level. Don’t forget to inspect the radiator and look for leaks.
  • Open up the engine bay and perform an oil check with a dipstick. You should do this after every four hours of operation.
  • Lubricate the bushings if required.
  • Get inside the cab to make sure the indicator lights and the controls are in proper working order.
  • Test the equipment by fully extending the boom arm and the dipper arm. Listen for unusual sounds.
  • Lift the boom arm up in the air and turn off the machine. Wait and see whether the boom arm moves downwards. If it does, you’ll know there’s an internal bypass in the cylinders.
  • Test the boom arm and bucket functions repeatedly to find out if there’s any excessive movement.
  • Check the levers and joysticks to ensure they’re working properly.
  • Be well aware of the safe operating limits of the equipment. If you’re not sure, refer to the manual or talk to the dealer.

Frequency of Inspection

If you’re operating your excavator under harsh conditions, service it more often. To determine the right service intervals for your excavator, refer to the owner’s manual and perform a proper risk assessment. If your equipment is showing signs of deterioration, pay closer attention during your inspections and shorten your service intervals.

Servicing for Your Construction Equipment

If you want to optimise your excavator’s performance, get in touch with the experts at Allclass Construction Equipment. We have a 5 star Kubota accredited service centre in Brisbane. We can help you to prevent machine downtime by servicing your excavators with the best tools.

We also sell genuine excavator parts. Whether you’re looking for filter kits, tracks, or rollers, you’ll find them on our shelves.

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need attachments or Kubota mini excavators. Our sales representatives will help you find a machine at an affordable price.

Call us on 1300 255 252 for an instant quote or get in touch with us online.