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Safety Tips for Dump Truck Hire
Safety Tips for Dump Truck Hire
Whether you are working with a dump truck for mining material moving or on a large-scale construction worksite, understanding how to properly utilise a dump truck is ideal to complete a successful project. Some of these safety tips could involve reading the operational manual before getting into a dump truck or wearing protective gear to ensure your ultimate safety. Now, there are multiple ways to ensure that all measures are taken to provide you and your workers the ultimate safety possible.
Some of these safety measures for dump trucks include:
- Regular Inspections
- On-site Dump Truck Safety
- Material Loading
- Offloading Requirements
- Overhead Structures
Regular Inspections
The first safety tip when it comes to making sure that your dump truck hire is ready for operators to use is to conduct regular machine inspections. Due to the amount of weight these machines can carry, they are just as vulnerable to mechanical parts breaking as any vehicle on the road. These inspections should include a general look over of the machine to make sure there isn’t any damage or underlying issues.
Other parts that should be inspected should be mechanical parts such as the suspension and lift cylinders as well as the tyre pressure. Also, make sure all parts that need to be lubricated have been as this will increase the machine’s longevity. Making sure all parts on a dump truck are safe and secure will go a long way to providing your operators with the safety they need.
On-Site Dump Truck Safety
Once you have conducted your regular dump truck inspections, check to see if you have the required safety features installed. These features range from lights and alarms for reversing all the way to your operator wearing the correct protective gear.
In the event of a medical emergency, you want to sure make sure the dump truck has the right medical equipment to assist. This could include first-aid kits as well as a fire extinguisher. Having the essential safety equipment on or in your dump truck will allow operators to take necessary safety precautions in the event of an accident.
Material Loading
You may think just loading your materials into the dump trucks bed without any consideration for where it is being placed is okay. Well, unfortunately, it isn’t. Making sure that you evenly distribute your load throughout the bed of the truck is essential. This can cause significant loss of the centre of gravity and disturb the trucks overall stability.
Offloading Requirements
When offloading materials from a dump truck, following the correct safety protocols will ensure safety for everyone involved. Ensuring that you are on stable ground that is ideally flat is the best way to promote safe offloading procedures.
As the bed of the dump truck begins to rise and unloads tonnes of materials, the machine automatically starts to become less stable. This is why flat ground is essential in offloading. The size and overall length of the dump truck bed will determine how stable to ground needs to be. A general rule is to look for the most stable ground but if your truck bed is long, you will need to be on highly stable ground. The longer the bed, the higher chance the dump truck has of tipping over.
Overhead Structures
Looking out for overhead structures relates to when you’re travelling as well as unloading materials out of the dump truck. Making sure you understand your surroundings can either increase or decrease your safety. When travelling, make sure you plan your route to avoid overhead bridges and overhead powerlines as these can cause damage to both the dump truck and surrounding structures. When offloading materials, make sure the bed of the truck can reach its maximum length without touching the materials. These steps will go a long way to ensure low maintenance costs and ultimate safety.
Contact Eastern Plant Hire for a Free Dump Truck Hire Quote!
Dump trucks are very big machines that can cause a wide range of issues if correct safety procedures are not followed. If mechanical parts aren’t replaced regularly, the safety of the operator and surrounding workers may be in the balance.
If you’re looking for quality dump truck hire that is serviced regularly and the operators understand how to properly utilise the machine, get in touch with the team from Eastern Plant Hire. We provide dump trucks for hire throughout Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and throughout Australia. Get a free quote by giving us a call or filling out our online form.
