Heavy Machinery Moving Company: 6 Ways To Prevent Accidents When Moving Heavy Machinery

By | August 30, 2019

When dealing with heavy machinery, there is always the risk of accidents happening. When workers are injured, they not only waste time and money recovering, you also might be required to leave work altogether if the injury is severe.

In some cases, they sue the moving company which throws a spanner in the works. As a heavy machinery moving company, you need to ensure that you maintain the highest levels of safety. You can do this by:

Planning adequately for the move

Regardless of how many years you have been moving heavy machinery, you can’t wake up one day and execute the move. You need to take your time and plan on how to do it safely. The first thing you need to do is to identify a vehicle route with little traffic.

This is to minimize the number of vehicles the truck driver will meet on the way. It also minimizes the chances of the heavy machinery truck hitting people during the move. Using a less-trafficked route also speeds up the move as the driver has fewer distractions.

Plenty of accidents have been reported when picking the machinery. This often happens when there are blind spots at the site. For you to eliminate these accidents, designate a spotter all the time that will safely guide and direct the operator. The spotter will also communicate about any dangers that might be there.

Wearing the right protective gear at all times

It’s common for people to take their safety seriously early on in their careers but as time goes on, and they get used to their duties, they forget all about it. When moving heavy machinery, electrical hazards and falling objects are two of the main causes of injuries and fatalities.

For safety, all the heavy machinery operators and workers should wear the appropriate safety equipment. They should wear steel-toed boots, hard hats, high-visibility clothing, and any other necessary protective items.

Loading and unloading the machinery properly

You might be having the right staff and equipment but if you aren’t keen when loading and unloading the heavy equipment, things are bound to go wrong. Always load the crane or truck on level ground. This is to prevent objects or machinery from rolling over or slipping off the ramps.

Before you start loading, take time to determine the load limit of the machine. The last thing you want is damaging the machinery. If the truck can comfortably carry the machine, ensure that the load is securely in place and can’t fall off.

Keeping the lines of communication open

To ensure that everyone is on the same page, keep the lines of communication open at all times. Ensure that the operators transferring the heavy equipment are communicating with each other and with the people on the site.

The best form of communication is using a two-way radio. Ensure that the radio is working efficiently and there are no cutoffs.

Not leaving anything to chance

As mentioned, heavy machinery is unreliable and anything can happen when you are handling them. For peace of mind, don’t leave anything to chance. Before you move the machine, identify the power sources and lender them inoperable and inaccessible. This is to prevent the machines from starting accidentally.

In rare occasions, the machines release stored energy. To easily curb this when it happens, come up with protocols on how to control them.

Being professional and putting safety first

When people want to move machines, they don’t hire the first company they come across. They research to find a professional company. A professional heavy machinery moving MD company has all the necessary trucks and tools to move a wide range of machines.

The company will also have the right staff for the work. The staff will be properly trained to execute the move fast and safely.

The professional company gives the clients peace of mind as they are sure that their machine will get to the desired destination safely. Professional moving companies are insured; therefore, even if an accident happens, the burden isn’t on the client or the moving company—it’s on the insurance company.

To have more clients coming your way, have properly maintained trucks, work with the right team and ensure that you are insured.