Making Your Garden Look Fantastic

Earthmoving Safety Tips

8 February 2022

Philip Newman

Earthmoving works are essential in any landscaping project. Most homeowners are ignorant about the risks associated with earthmoving works. As a result, they often cause accidents such as landslides and toppling plant equipment as they conduct earthmoving works. Continue reading this article for some earthmoving safety tips.

Use the Right Equipment

Each earthmoving equipment handles a specific task. Therefore, you should assess the scope of work to determine which earthmoving equipment is best suited for your site. If you do not have any experience handling earthmovers, ask your earthmover hire company to recommend suitable equipment for your site.

A common oversight when using earthmovers is that clients do not inspect the earthmover delivered to their site. Issues such as worn-out brakes, failing clutch, leaking hydraulic fluids and worn-out tires could prove disastrous at the site. For example, an excavator with a leaking brake fluid could hit your house or other installations around your home. An inspection report will give accurate details regarding the mechanical condition of the earthmover. You should also ensure the earthmover has adequate safety measures. For instance, a lock pin keeps an excavator arm in place when parked or changing attachments. On the other hand, a load limit sensor alerts you when you overload the earthmover.

Have an Earthmoving Plan

You must have a plan before commencing the earthmoving works. For example, if you want to dig a trench, conduct a preliminary inspection to ensure the area does not have underground utilities such as gas or water pipes. If you intend to level a section of the landscape to create a tennis or basketball court, decide how to dispose of the excavated earth. Otherwise, you will end up with a large hole. If you plan to conduct earthmoving works during the rainy season, create a drainage to ensure water does not pool in the excavated area.

Observe On-site Safety

Consider these safety tips as you conduct earthmoving works:

Barricade the area to prevent your kids, pets, and visitors from accessing the site. Remember, they could slip into trenches or holes.
When digging deep trenches, keep the excavated material away from the trench. Besides, reinforce the trench if you have to enter.
Have a spotter to warn you of blind spots. It will prevent you from knocking down your home and other installations as you swing the earthmover.
Wear protective clothing when working at the site. Inspect the earthmovers regularly to identify defects that could cause accidents.

When conducting earthmoving works, use the right equipment, create an earthmoving plan and observe the proposed safety tips.

For more information on earthmoving, contact a professional near you.

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About Me

Hello! My name is Ronald and this is my landscaping blog. Today, I would like to discuss the topic of landscaping and how you can make your garden and the grounds of your property look great. When I was growing up, we didn't have a garden. We lived in a city centre apartment so all my mother had was a few plant pots on the balcony. I knew that when I grew up, I wanted a big garden all of my own. When I bought my new house, I contacted a landscaping company and I worked closely with them to plan the design of my garden. I am so happy. It looks great.