Two Ways to Avoid Accidents When Using Heavy Construction Equipment During a Demolition Project

There are several steps that can be taken to minimise the risk of accidents occurring when heavy construction equipment needs to be used during a demolition project. Here are two such steps.

Don't continue operating the equipment during periods of poor visibility

The demolition process will almost always result in massive quantities of plaster and concrete dust becoming airborne. This airborne dust, coupled with the dust that lands on the windscreen of the heavy construction equipment that is being used, can often lead to the operator of this equipment struggling to see clearly for extended periods of time.

Continuing to operate a piece of heavy construction equipment when visibility is poor is a recipe for disaster. If an operator cannot see anything beyond the front of the equipment and they decide to carry on using the machinery in spite of this, they could end up accidentally striking workers who are standing on the ground near the front of the equipment.

In this situation, it would also be very difficult for them to accurately judge the distance between their equipment and the building that they are demolishing.

This could lead to them driving the equipment too close to the structure, which could, in turn, result in heavy debris (such as broken bricks, concrete or timber) falling onto and crushing the cab of the equipment. Even if the operator is wearing a hard hat and other protective clothing, this type of incident could still leave them with serious, potentially life-threatening injuries.

As such, it is best for operators to switch off the machinery during periods when the air becomes thick with dust. After this has settled on the ground, they should wipe off any dust particles which have landed on the windscreen of the machinery's cab before they resume their work.

Wear a respirator

As mentioned above, demolition work generates an enormous amount of dust, some of which may be toxic if inhaled in large quantities. Because of this, some people who participate in demolition projects choose to wear respirator masks.

Whilst ideally everyone on the demolition site should have one of these masks, it is particularly important for those operating heavy construction equipment to wear this form of safety gear.

The reason for this is as follows; if an operator of a piece of equipment is not wearing a mask of this kind and, as a result of this, they inhale a large mouthful of dust, they could end up having a severe, prolonged coughing fit.

If this occurs when they are in the middle of using the equipment to knock down a section of the building, there could be disastrous consequences.

In this situation, their coughing fit may leave them unable to steer the machinery, which could potentially result in them colliding with another piece of equipment or hitting nearby workers on the ground.

As such, it is critical for all operators of heavy construction equipment to use this type of safety gear.

For additional information, contact a company like Roach Demolition & Excavations.