auto-eject excavator

[nobull1]

Well I was wondering if anyone else but me does this stupid stunt.When digging a hole as close as you can to the machine and max depth I find you cannot see the rocks etc at the bottom of the hole.So the only way when by yourself is to stand up lean out the front reach behind and use the joysticks.I am very carefull when doing this but at anytime it could be auto-eject I know it is dangerous but can think of no other way to clean the hole when you have to see exactly what you are doing.Most times you can look, sit, curl, lift but sometimes you have to see as you curl which means head out the front [auto-eject position] Maybe it is just my machine but I would think others must have the same problem

 

[cat320]

I have done that if I need to clear around something and I need to actually see where the hoe is i will stand and work the joysticks but at this point i'm not really digging hard but just doing it at a lower rpm to clear the area.

 

[Pop]

auto-eject

It's good that you are aware of the danger, but being aware of it won't prevent an accident.

 

[nobull1]

Well I am glad I'm not the only one to do this .I can't help but think this has to be a Darwin award "Man auto-eject into hole crushed by hoe".There are a few things I will not do such as sky diving,flying single seat planes etc due to the fact that I would be too pi$$ed for last 10 seconds of my life before I smucked into the ground for being so stupid to even have tried these things. It seems to be the only way to do it but I still shake my head everytime I do.

 

[mert0714]

I only have the oppurtunity to run mini-excavators for digging footings. These are even more prone to accidents due to the weight distribution (more top heavy and unstable) also the contols can make the machine jump around more (hydraulic power vs weight of the machine and control response). I do it all the time when coming to an end to get a clean square verticle hole. As long as you are paying close attention and are not trying something on slopes, close to weight limits or thinking you need to go fast then it shouldn't be a problem. After I see I have some in the bucket, I plop down to finish the manover then when back in the trench and close to digging spot then I get back up and do it all again until finished. It at least eliminates some oppurtunity for accidents.

 

[Steve Frazier]

A safety harness attached to the ROPS would be an easy solution to the problem. Hunting supply stores are a good source for the harnesses.

 

[motrack]

some of the larger companies we deal with have safety guys that would just freak out if they seen you operating that way...........

 

[nobull1]

Originally posted by motrack
some of the larger companies we deal with have safety guys that would just freak out if they seen you operating that way...........

Don't blame them totally agree so what do you do?

 

[mert0714]

Give them $10 to go a get a soda and snack for both of you and do it when they are gone/ Luckily we don't have to deal with any of the big company antics. We are a company of 2 with an emergency helper. The only people we deal with is inspectors occasionally and that hasn't been a problem. Just have to do it right and their way and all is well, until their way is wrong.

 

[Stonehenge]

I'm no heavy equipment guy, but if there's a ROPS, could you mount a mirror on top to give you a look down below? You'd have to learn to work with an upside-down view, but it's better than the alternative....

 

[DKinWA]

I can't say I've been in this position and I'm not sure what I'd do if I were. One thought is to have a helper in a position to see everything and provide directions to the operator. You could use those two way radios to give directions. The only other thing that comes to mind is to over excavate and figure there's that much more material to backfill.

Personally I don't think I'd operate a machine while hanging over the back to see what I'm doing. A little too much risk for me I guess. I know I definitely wouldn't want an employee doing this and I'd probably reprimand them for doing it. The way I look at it, I don't want employees doing something that I wouldn't do myself.

 

[Pop]

Playing it safe

O.S.H.A., regulations specify that the seat belt shall be fasted while operating equipment that is equipped with a seat belt. A seat belt, when properly fastened, would not allow the operator to stand up while operating the equipment. I'm certainly against using a body harness.

I suggest swinging the cabin around 180 degrees and look out the side of the machine to look into the trench. After you get a good look, swing the hoe bucket back into the trench and do the final touches. A decent hoe operator pretty well knows where the bucket teeth are positioned most of the time. I call it working via the minds eye or by the seat of the pants. It's the safe and legal way to do it.

BTW: I'm sure most of you fellows know that when trenches reach the 5 foot deepth, shoring is required before anyone is allowed to go into the trench.

I see about one fatality posted per week of someone losing their life for failing to abide by that regulation.

Work safely!

 

[PAYTON]

im guilty of doing this.. done it once or twice ok maybe a few more times.. and no its not the safest way. to dig but diggin on fiber optic lines. not the safest way but sum times its the only way.. one thing ive really started to like is the 4 point hos oens that swing at the swivel.. not 100% sure on name but they dig just like a normal ho.. just have another swing at the base of the boom.. can pretty much swing 90 and dig to the left.. real nice.

 

[nobull1]

Re: Playing it safe

Originally posted by Pop
O.S.H.A., regulations specify that the seat belt shall be fasted while operating equipment that is equipped with a seat belt. A seat belt, when properly fastened, would not allow the operator to stand up while operating the equipment. I'm certainly against using a body harness.

I suggest swinging the cabin around 180 degrees and look out the side of the machine to look into the trench. After you get a good look, swing the hoe bucket back into the trench and do the final touches. A decent hoe operator pretty well knows where the bucket teeth are positioned most of the time. I call it working via the minds eye or by the seat of the pants. It's the safe and legal way to do it.

BTW: I'm sure most of you fellows know that when trenches reach the 5 foot deepth, shoring is required before anyone is allowed to go into the trench.

I see about one fatality posted per week of someone losing their life for failing to abide by that regulation.

Work safely!

My machine does not have a seat belt so I would not be breaking the law.Only saying this so you know my situation.I am curious why you say no body harness though?As far as turning 180 to look I guess you mean 90 degrees so you can see out the side, not meaning looking out the back.On my machine you could only have a good view from one side as the other has the fuel and hydraulic tank but this does not really matter because either way you do not have a good view of the bottom of the hole if it is in tight.The front of the grading blade is about 3 feet in front of the cab which changes for less angle that you can see in the hole.I fully agree with you as a good operator should know exactly where the teeth are at all times but the problem is knowing what it is you are digging them teeth into.I have seen a time when I was trying to get this 300 lb rock off the side of a sewer line [don't even ask what idiot backfilled that line]and the only way was to look out the front ,slide teeth under the rock,lift easy, release, reposition for a better hold,lift,pull ,curl ,lift at the same time,remove from hole.Now I could have done this without looking in the hole but I am sure I would have damaged the sewer line and caused a lot of grief for me and the customer[mostly me].When I am doing this type of work I try and have a friend of mine around who runs a backhoe to give me hand signals.He is so good I could watch him all day and not have to ever look at the hoe and can do a great job fast. So like I said, I don't like doing it but haven't heard of a better way when by yourself. I wonder if a large convex mirror on the arm would work anybody try that?Pop I have full respect for your info on this site so don't take offense only trying to find good answers to difficult problems and you seem to have very good points Some times I think there is no simple answer to all problems as we are led to believe.Just to give you something to think about I deal with bulls 2000 lbs plus that i have to move, clean,feed,Etc and have found the safest way to deal with them is "DON"T HAVE ANY" they are just too dangerous.

 

[Pop]

Body Harness

I only mentioned the harness because I don't think being attached to the ROP will solve the problem. It may keep the operator from falling out of the machine, but he/she would still have to stand up and lean over the controls to see the bottom of the trench. I think being in an arkward position like that is dangerous.

 

[DKinWA]

I just got to thinking that for someone that is in the situation a lot, it might be worth it to add a radio remote control system to your excavator. There used all the time on concrete pump trucks, so it could probably be adapted to an excavator. Not to mention, it would be kinda nice to get out and stretch your legs once in awhile and still be able to work. It would definitely make it easier to see in confined areas. Just a thought.........

 

[digger242j]

With reference to the harness idea, to make a bad situation worse, I can see the added risk of the line to the harness fouling one of the machine's controls and causing some type of unintended movement. Who knows what might happen as a result of that?

To be perfectly honest, I've commited the same sin, more than once. More often it was on a rubber tired backhoe, where the controls were still in front of me, than on an excavator where I was actually reaching backwards to make control inputs. I have to agree that *that* is really a risky practice. Actually, I'm not sure I did that a second time.

(On the backhoe, I learned that a sort of semi-squatting position would, if there was anything that happened to throw me off balance, tend to cause me to plop my butt back down in the seat, rather than fall head first out the window. Also, it makes your legs tired, so you *want* to sit back down sooner. That still doesn't make it a "safe" practice')

I think it's important to keep in mind that we sometimes do things that we are well aware are dangerous. That's bad in and of itself. The *really* bad thing is that once we get away with a dangerous practice the first time we're likely to repeat it. Once we get away with it more than once we're likely to allow it to become a habit. Any one, individual, dangerous act might not cause an accident but, kinda like Russian Roulette, it's the "Law of Averages" that will eventually do us in.

 

[glsahl]

Love This!

I have watched guys do this for years,fortunately only one was seriously hurt.I'd suggest standing outside of cab,depending on control configuration,we've got a guy that does this when guessing isn't an option,and his spotter lacks experience.It's slow and awkward,but it beats ripping a hole in a gas line,or falling into your own bucket.Best to think ahead of the ditch.

 

[equipment jedi]

Auto-eject, accident waiting to happen

I couldnt help but chuckle to myself on the way people justify the less than intelligent stunts that they pull. First off if you cant see, you are undercutting your machine and could fall into excavation. 2nd, the seat belt should be worn at ALL times. And understand that we "safety jerks" are there to protect you from yourselves. All too many times I have to notify family members of serious injury or worse as results of things operators tried to do when "we" werent watching. Work safe, use common sense and go home alive.
Before you start the "he's safety and dont know". Ive operated equipment for the past 35 years and now teach operations and safety. Been there and done that. Its not worth the risk. And also those $10 hunting safety harnesses are not OSHA approved!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dwan Hall]

The only option here is to use a spotter.
Although I have though of putting a remote video camera on the dipper to watch the bucket a time or 2.
I have a backup camera in the motor home that would work perfectly. I already have a 2" wide strip of Velcro down the dipper for my laser so it would be an easy install.