This course is part of the Series of courses on Heavy Civil Construction Safety. It is the intent of this series of courses to provide the reader with a sound knowledge base of the fundamentals of safety so they can be considered one of the Industry’s Competent Safety Personnel. Supervisory engineering responsibilities require this type of training so leaders can help the staff they oversee avoid accidents.
The series of courses will attempt to make this material easy to read and understand. It does not go into any depth on technical subjects but will provide enough material for the reader to be aware of the fundamentals in a wide variety of subject areas. Course Topics of this series may include: General OSHA and MSHA Responsibilities, Personal Protection, Hand and Power Tools, Ladders and Scaffolds, Excavation and Trenches, Equipment operations, Crane Safety, Rigging Safety, Traffic Control, Fire Protection, & Equipment Transporting.
The goal of this third course is to review basic heavy equipment operation safety. The material will include general discussions of the various equipment available and some of the hazards/precautions needed to safely work around them. Anyone who works around heavy equipment knows that there are hazards involved and that they are not to be taken lightly. It is not the purpose of this course to teach people to be equipment operators. It is the purpose to teach people safe practices and procedures to reduce the chance of equipment operation safety accidents.
The purpose of this course is to help engineers who design heavy civil construction items understand the processes of construction to make their designs safer, more timely, cost effective, and with better quality. After completion the reader should have a basic understanding of the ssfety requirements needed to construct their designs. From better understanding of the construction methods, engineers can account for better access and staging areas, and more efficient designs to suit a construction method that is advantageous to the project.
Lastly, safety must be a constant focus of every operation. Because of the variability of Heavy Civil Construction Projects, they are often chosen to be constructed in some of the most adverse and inaccessible areas imaginable. Working with extreme weights, at excessive heights, in adverse conditions, and around large equipment requires safety diligence from every stakeholder. Please be safe.
