Operator responsibility

[Welder Dave]

People are stupid when it comes to equipment working. Maybe signs would help some telling anyone on site to check in with the site manager before going anywhere near working equipment. Having 2 way radios in the machine would be a good idea so the operators knew when someone was coming to see them or even be working near them.
People are still stupid though. At my MX track I was hauling a load of sand on to the track and asked a guy to stop anyone from going on the track until I got back. It would take about 5 minutes. Just as I'm backing up beside a jump to dump the load, I see somebody ride by. I dump the load as quick as I can and then see the guy I asked to stop everybody ride by. ***! I manage to get back and flag this moron down. I asked him what the hell is going on. He then said the stupidest thing I've ever heard. I thought you were finished. I told you to wait until I got back to the parking lot. Then he said something even stupider. I saw that other guy go out so thought it was OK. You knew I was still out there! I said you mess with a 5 ton truck on a bike you're going to lose everytime. Ever the idiot he says it would be bad to hit a pile of sand on the track too. Then I explained, 1st the sand is off to the side where nobody really goes and 2nd you know exactly where the sand was being dumped and 3rd you can see it well before when you're going around the corner before the jump. I said personally if I had a choice I'd much rather run into a pile of sand than a truck.
I was using the sand to fill a bit of a hole in front of the jump before a lot of people showed up. There were only 3 riders at the track at the time. It would have taken about 10 more minutes to drive the skid steer out to spread the sand but I just told riders to watch for it when they signed up and spread it after the track closed. That guy had to be about the biggest moron I've ever encountered. Instead of admitting he totally forgot why he was standing at the entrance of the track tried to put the blame on me for trying to fix the track for him and other riders. Almost unbelievable how dumb this guy was.

 

[cuttin edge]

Thing is on a large job, you get used to the machinery, and kind of tune it out. I find a large job with a bunch of backup alarms going, you start to tune it out. One of the loaders at the quarry has a large strobe light, as well as an odd sounding backup alarm. If you don't notice the strobe on the rear of the machine, you'll hear that funky alarm.

 

[Tugger2]

You guys realize that having this conversation adds up to more interference with Natural Selection.But looking at it seriously none of us want to be part of an accident.
If im set up with a crane on a site theres a conversation in the morning tailgate meeting about making eye contact with the operator and expect a wave to pass when its good to do so. Always pass me on the cab side never on the off side. If the site is tight ill cone and flag my turning radius ,but theres still guys that want to lift the flagging and pass thru which results in a more direction conversation with me or my ground man.We always use good radios which helps the crew keep eyes on strangers on site.
Even in my pickup i wont cross a log sort or gravel pit without eye contact and exchanged waves to pass from the operator. Ive had guys pass around me and look at me like what hell are you sitting for.
Horns and backup alarms tend to lend to confusion and complacancy.Try and stay focussed on a lift when your running a crane with a rear camera flashing away at you.
Eye contact with operators or ground men and common sense work well in my opinion.Stay Safe !

 

[Camshawn]

When I was an apprentice doing some underground conduit work in a new complex, the hoe operator instructed me about being seen. I was amazed that he was so focused on the bucket that he would not notice me until he was lifting the bucket to empty it. I worked with him for a few weeks and really learned how to stay alive. Cam

 

[JD955SC]

You guys realize that having this conversation adds up to more interference with Natural Selection.But looking at it seriously none of us want to be part of an accident.

Last year I got to deal with a nearly fatal accident response and investigation. I had to sit with a lawyer for two hours telling the story, sweated worrying about dealing with OSHA (they decided not to come), and so on. And finally the worry of if there was a court case dealing with being called on the stand. It was no small amount of stress and worry

 

[Jonas302]

"However on a construction site when is the operator responsible for someones death and when is it the responsibility Of the people on the ground to stay out of the way."

Is that a serious question or just a rant?

Operators and drivers are to be responsible for safe operation and every move there machine makes at all times or they need a new job. As far as legally who knows its to late then anyways but the company will not come out pretty no matter what

"Electricians assuming they have right of way and driving in front of a full speed wheel loader"
A good reason to slow down and evaluate if running a loader at full speed on a crowded jobsite is the best thing to do everybody is there to get a job done and go home safe

The public may be stupid or not paying attention or just not give a hoot what your doing it really doesn't matter you still have to watch out for them if I took out every moron I meet out plowing snow there wouldn't be much traffic anymore

 

[cuttin edge]

I just left a trenching awareness course put on by the New Brunswick Construction Safety Association. Here are basic precautions for truckers. When there is no signal person, if you can't see, get out and look. Sound horn before moving, use both mirrors (shocker), hazard lights. stop immediately if anyone disappears from view behind you. Don't move until you see the person again. Get out and check if you have to. Workers on foot, be aware of common operator blind spots, stay alert to the location of equipment around you, avoid entering, or standing in blind spots, always remain visible to the operator, eye contact, never stand behind a backing vehicle. Remember, the operator may be able to see you while you are standing, but not if you kneel down or bend over.

 

[Welder Dave]

When I was an apprentice doing some underground conduit work in a new complex, the hoe operator instructed me about being seen. I was amazed that he was so focused on the bucket that he would not notice me until he was lifting the bucket to empty it. I worked with him for a few weeks and really learned how to stay alive. Cam

It's not hard to be super focused on your work and paying attention to the bucket rather than other things around you. The hoe operator might be working around underground pipes or wires and has to be extremely focused on what he's doing. Good operators can often feel if there is something buried or have to take very precise little bites to help find buried pipes or wires etc. Sometimes things are found that nobody knew were there.

 

[Camshawn]

My friend, an equipment operator at work found a small stick by feel when he was digging a trench for me with a backhoe across a grass covered sand field. He “felt” something so I jumped into the trench with a mud stick to investigate. Cam