Operating Excavators Safely

Your excavator comes equipped with a host of safety features built in to protect both you and your machine, but heavy machinery is still dangerous. It’s always wise to take extra precautions - a little bit of effort and time can save you a lot of time, money, and trouble. There’s a lot you can do to increase safety, and we here at West Hills Tractor in Jonesborough, Tennessee, have put together this basic guide to help you on your way.

If you’re in the market for a new excavator or other heavy machinery, our friendly and expert staff are ready to help you find exactly what you need. We proudly serve Johnson City and Greenville, Tennessee, and are ready to help you, too!

Conduct Inspections

You should always look over your machinery both before and after you use it. Give your controls a once-over to make sure all levers and buttons are functioning properly. Make sure the propel system is behaving, also. Mirrors should be clean and properly adjusted for the operator. If any parts or controls seem damaged or unresponsive, do not operate that machinery.

When possible, look around the area you’ll be working in, as well. Remove any and all obstacles that might damage your excavator, like rocks, stumps, or construction materials. Make sure there are no holes, ditches, or inclines, and if there are, make sure you know how to handle or work around them. If you’ll be digging, get in touch with the local utility district and ask for markers for any buried pipes or wires.

Operator Safety Precautions

The most important safety precautions are the ones that protect the operator — the only person who absolutely needs to interact with your vehicle. This means making sure any and all seat belts are being worn properly and are worn throughout the duration of the operation. Most cabs are built for a single operator and no passengers, so avoid taking on extra persons at all costs - there are no safety precautions for them. If you’re part of a larger operation, make sure you have a reliable communication system for talking to the ground crew.

Crew Safety

The second most important safety precautions keep those around the vehicle from harm. Job sites are busy, bustling places, so keep your machine’s speed on low when working on populated sites. Keeping your excavator’s bucket low will increase visibility and stability. Know the weight limit of your bucket, never lift it higher than necessary, and never dig underneath your machine. 

All ground crew should remain a safe distance away from the excavator and its parts. Never allow anyone to stand directly under the bucket, especially when it’s full. Avoid riding in the bucket or hanging off the arm, and make sure everyone knows where the excavator will be working and moving. If it starts to get dark, remember to use proper lighting to avoid any mishaps.

Operational Safety

Before starting any job, make sure your vehicle has a full tank of gas. Low fuel can make it hard to maintain your bucket and arm elevation. Also check your engine and hydraulic fluid levels before beginning. Keep your excavator leveled when digging a trench to avoid cave-ins, and dump soil piles well away from the digging area.

For extra stability, work with any propel motors at the rear of the machine. These should be a little removed from the edge of an excavation. When backfilling a cave-in, keep the excavator’s tracks at a 90-degree angle to the excavation with the propel motors to the rear of the machine. Double check any attachments you’re using to ensure they’re compatible with your particular machine. 

We hope these tips will help you and those around you stay safe! If you have any questions, need an excavator on sale, or have other tractor-related issues, West Hills Tractor is here for you! Stop by our store in Jonesborough, Tennessee, anytime to get what you need today.