When you are working with heavy equipment, there’s a lot of precautions that you need to take in order to keep everyone safe. The construction zone in and of itself can be pretty dangerous and the machinery that is usually around doesn’t help. Hardox plates and other heavy equipment parts can fail, if proper procedure isn’t followed there can be falls, drops and other potentially fatal accidents. Here are some ways to stay safe around heavy machinery parts like hardox plates and more.

Requiring Safety Classes
Making sure everyone goes through a safety course periodically. Everyone should understand how to work everything from cutting edges to hardox plates to everything else that could cause potential harm. One of the main problems is that safety courses are required in the beginning but the workers don’t tend to get refresher courses very often. This should be a requirement. At least twice a year, all of the workers should sit through a few classes to remind them of the importance of safety and how to check their equipment.

Following Safety Procedures
There’s taking safety classes and then there’s following them. Part of the problem with classes is that people will sit through them but not really pay attention to them. Even worse, they won’t follow the protocols. This is the most important step. Every piece and part of the machines should be thoroughly inspected at the beginning of each day. That’s really the only way that you can ensure that everything is in place and functioning correctly.

Designating Clear Radius
Around each heavy machinery piece there needs to be a certain amount of space that is the danger zone. For example, one machine might require a three foot radius while other need a wider berth. When this radius is needed, there should be clear markings of the space. Sectioning tape, mats, cones and warning signs should be posted in easy to see spots.

Wearing Proper Attire
Among the other safety procedures, one of the easiest to follow is what you are wearing. Safety goggles, helmets, steel toed boots and reflective at night time are helpful to keeping the workers safe and minimizing them getting hurt. It’s difficult to make sure that every single person is always wearing the right attire when they come to work so you might want to designate someone each morning to check that all the workers are following policy in regards to clothing. No loose clothing that can get caught in machines, minimal skin exposure and other ideas should all be adhered to.

The main problem with safety in the workplace is getting the workers to follow the standards and rules set in place. Every piece of equipment from crane mats to hardox plates to fork lifts should be considered as a potential danger. In order to ensure that everybody is safe and looked after, there should be consequences set in place for people who refuse to follow the code. Here are some examples of what you can do and how you can enforce them.

1. Morning inspection to ensure everyone is wearing the right clothing.
2. Morning inspection of equipment to ensure proper function.
3. Inspection of equipment after safety mats and tape is in place to ensure proper following of protocols.

If during these inspections, some are found in violation, here is an idea of how to enforce the rules.

• First offense: sent home with no pay for the day.
• Second offense: suspended with no pay for a week and written up.
• Third offense: termination.

Following something like this will show the workers that you are serious about safety. Of course, they should be notified in writing of the policy changes if you are going to implement safety rules and consequences. It might even be a good idea to get everyone to sign the paper.

While some workers may be offended at the changes, ultimately you are doing your best to keep everyone safe and your good employees will see that and will appreciate it. Protection should be your number one concern on the construction site and if anyone does not agree, they could be putting themselves and others in harm’s way. This should not be tolerated, excused or allowed in any way at all.