When it comes to the plant and crane hire industry, safety is a key factor on any worksite. With so many heavy machines and different pieces of equipment on a worksite, there can be several potential hazards and safety is crucial for protecting employees or visitors on a site. Our guide is here to delve into the best practices for plant hire and crane hire operations, as well as the importance of improving safety for employees and operators on your site. By listening to our guide, you can find crucial advice for improving your worksite. To learn more about the importance of safety and how to manage safety on your site, keep on reading our blog.
Understanding The Safety Challenges With Crane & Plant Hire
Before diving into the best practices that you can use to manage your site, it’s important to understand the safety challenges that are associated with crane and plant hire. Read below to understand more about why safety is so important on these types of worksites, and the common safety challenges you may encounter.
Why Safety Is So Important
Safety on construction sites, warehouses and other settings where these types of machines may be used is crucial. By prioritising safety, it reduces the chances of accidents, injury to employees and ensures that projects can run smoothly. Accidents and injuries are detrimental for companies, and can result in legal complications or cases. Cranes and plant equipment are large, sturdy pieces of machinery, and tipping cranes or overloading machines can result in serious falls that can damage surrounding areas and even injure individuals.
Aside from accidents and damages to surrounding areas or personnel, safety on these sites is also essential for complying with local laws and regulations. Local councils and legal authorities will have local regulations and rules that must be adhered to in order to stay in line with these regulations. By adhering to regulations, companies using hire machinery or crane hire services can avoid legal hassle later down the line.
Last, but certainly not least is the reputation of your company. No organisation wants to have a bad or unsafe reputation, whether it be with clients, employees and owners of the business. By prioritising safety, companies and organisations can showcase their commitment to staying professional and maintaining a strong reputation. By focusing on safety, companies can also improve their ability to complete projects effectively, ensuring that they run as smoothly as possible.
Common Safety Challenges
Some common safety challenges to consider include:
● Equipment Failure - There is often a risk with large machinery that breakdowns and technical malfunctions can occur. Poor maintenance or overloading certain machines can result in minor damages that can later become serious safety issues. Improper loading and handling with cranes as well as plant hire machinery malfunctioning is a serious safety concern.
● Inefficient Operators - It’s crucial for safety to have properly trained operators. All staff on your site should have a proper understanding and complete training to avoid accidents from occurring. If employees operating your machinery are not properly trained, accidents can cause damage or even injury to other personnel. This can result in serious issues for businesses such as legal cases.
● Environmental Factors - Environmental factors can also impact safety when working with large machines. Remote sites and tough weather conditions can impact the stability of your machinery. Uneven ground and other environmental factors can also pose safety challenges on worksites.
● Weight Distribution - Weight distribution is another important part of safety, which is directly linked to the responsibility of those operating these machines. There is a great importance placed on the weight distribution and proper loading, as there can be serious hazards associated with exceeding weight limits or not properly loading certain equipment. In order to ensure this is safely carried out, it’s crucial that all operators and employees are properly trained.
Ways You Can Improve Safety On Your Site
There are several ways that site managers can implement better safety practices. By prioritising these practices and encouraging employees to follow certain procedures, you can improve the safety and reputation of your worksite. Read below to find our industry advice regarding safety improvements.
Risk Assessments
Risk assessments are a great first step to take when focusing on safety, and they are a task that can be repeated throughout different projects. Risk assessments should involve a manager or employee going through a work site or looking at certain equipment, identifying where potential hazards may be. Each project should be individually assessed, as each project is different. There may be external factors such as weather or site conditions which factor into the hazards on a particular site. By carrying out risk assessments and making the relevant changes to procedures, you can ensure that employees and visitors on your site are safe and protected.
Operator Training
Operator training is a very important part of enforcing safety when operating cranes and plant hire machinery. Hiring certified operators is essential, as well as providing the proper training to all employees for each project. Working on different sites and projects may mean that you are handling and hiring different types of machinery. In these cases, operator training should cover hazards, preventing accidents and the procedures to follow if an accident does occur.
You can also implement training refresher courses that update employees on industry changes that are taking place. By training employees in this way, you can keep everyone educated and reduce the risks of accidents.
Maintaining Equipment
Maintenance is another key factor that influences safety when working with plant machinery or crane hire equipment. Although these machines are large and sturdy, they still require in depth maintenance to ensure they are working properly. Routine maintenance is essential, especially in larger machines, as it prevents detrimental breakdowns and serious accidents. Before using any equipment, safety checklists should be used for all machines, checking that each piece of machinery is in the condition it should be. With new technology developments, many machines are now fitted with improved safety features, which are designed to reduce accidents. However, safety inspections and checklists should still be used to ensure that everything is working properly.
Site-Specific Safety
As we've already discussed, different sites can present different challenges. Whether you're working on a compact site, a remote site or a site with uneven terrain, the need to adapt is key for safety. Based on the site conditions and the requirements of a project, organisations may need to adapt their safety procedures and strategies to manage certain projects with large machines. This falls to site managers, employees and operators to communicate with each other and create a safe working environment for each project.
Partnering With Reliable Hire Companies
Partnering with reliable crane hire services can also make a huge difference in your commitment to safety. Experienced hire companies bring a wealth of knowledge and resources to meet safety compliance standards, reducing the risk of accidents or delays. When choosing a hire company, look for key factors such as the quality and maintenance of their equipment, documented safety records, and the availability of certified operators. Expert guidance from professionals can also help you streamline your operations and minimise your liability if accidents to occur, giving you some peace of mind.
Macsalvors Plant Hire:
Our blog has explored many reasons why safety is so crucial on work sites and sites handling crane or plant hire machinery. By prioritising safety, you can ensure that your employees, clients and the general public are protected from any hazards. Here at MacSalvors, we offer a range of plant hire machinery and crane hire equipment. Our focus is on industry best practices, as well as prioritising our customer service. We aim to provide you with flexible solutions no matter what you're looking for.
If you're looking for plant hire companies in the Cornwall or Devon area, look no further and get in touch with Macsalvors plant hire today. Our team will be happy to help you find exactly what you're looking for and answer any questions you may have.
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