Pit & Quarry, February 2014

EQUIPMENT FOCUS EXCAVATING and rushing or not paying attention to foot or hand placement To reduce injuries consider the following Always read the operation and maintenance manual for proper mount and dismount procedures Inspect the ground before climbing up or down Note where feet will be placed to avoid a twisted or sprained ankle Always check the condition of the steps ladders and rails for mud water ice dust or any other material that could cause slips Always maintain three points of contact when mounting and dismounting equipment This means always have two feet and one hand or two hands and one foot in contact with the machine at all times Doing so means not carrying items when mounting or dismounting equipment If carrying items up and down from the cab is necessary place the item s on a bench or a ledge of the equipment and stagger step the items up or down with the extra hand while maintaining three points of contact Alternatively use a rope to raise or lower the items Always mount and dismount while Always maintain three points of contact when mounting and dismounting equipment This means always have two feet and one hand or two hands and one foot in contact with the machine at all times facing the equipment Inspect the condition of rails and guarding for damage and effectiveness Always close and latch gates as required for fall protection Close doors to the equipment in case the outside grab bars are used as handles while climbing in or out Do not rush Take the time needed to properly enter and exit the equipment Do not skip steps or rungs in the ladder Diesel fuel There are three primary concerns associated with diesel fuel 1 Flammability Diesel fuel is not nearly as flammable as gasoline or other common fuels such as ethanol or propane but it can catch fire and become difficult to extinguish Do not smoke around diesel fuel 2 Inhalation If diesel vapors are inhaled it can cause dizziness nausea and increased blood pressure among other symptoms 3 Skin exposure Diesel fuel can be absorbed through the skin very easily It can cause skin irritation redness and even burns If the diesel is not cleaned off it will adsorb into the skin and cause symptoms identical to inhalation What can you do to limit the harmful effects of diesel fuel When fueling diesel powered vehicles or machinery do so in a well ventilated area If vehicles must be used indoors or in enclosed spaces extra ventilation should be provided to remove diesel exhaust Wear gloves when working with diesel Do not use vinyl or butyl rubber gloves with diesel as they offer no protection Maintain diesel vehicles and routinely check emission control devices P Q Information for this article courtesy of Caterpillar Inc www safety cat com For the average person hearing loss begins in early adulthood From that point on your hearing diminishes as you grow older It is extremely important then to protect your hearing level The best way to reduce hearing loss is to protect your ears from extreme sound levels What is considered to be extreme Most regulatory agencies consider 85 decibels dBA for an eight hour period to be an extreme sound This noise level is equivalent to a vacuum cleaner Interestingly to most of us this noise does not seem very loud However studies have shown that even moderate noise over long periods of time can wear down the sensitive components of the inner ear This can seem quite surprising to the average heavy equipment operator After all these operators are working around large diesel engines for long periods of time How to help protect against hearing loss Use engineered controls to stop the sound from reaching the human ear A muffler system is the perfect example Also by shrouding the engine compartment and shrouding the cab noise from the engine and other mechanisms can be reduced significantly Also use administrative controls to help protect employees signs that read Hearing Protection Required for example Training is another example Personal protective equipment PPE should be used when engineered and administrative controls have been applied and sound levels are still high Earmuffs or earplugs are effective PPE When operating heavy equipment keep your ears in mind Do you have to talk loudly to be heard It is possible that you are working in an environment with excessive noise If possible make sure the cab is sealed well and the windows are shut Keep a set of disposable earplugs with you Employers typically supply these to employees for free They are great at cutting down moderate noise Turn down the cab radio Loud music is a big contributor to long term hearing loss Long term safety Noise reduction 42 PIT QUARRY February 2014 www pitandquarry com