Page 29 - Hub-4 Magazine Issue 62

Mentor Training
Safely Using Mobile Plant for
Waste Operations
No waste and recycling site can run safely and effectively without a robust management system which includes the correct use of equipment. Considering the recent HSE statistics that highlight the rise in major injuries and illness in the waste sector, Mentor provide an insight into simple steps that onsite management can enforce to promote safe operation of equipment onsite.
The primary focus of most waste sites is to store, treat/recycle and transfer waste from one process to another. In order to carry out these tasks, equipment with diverse operational capabilities such as wheeled loaders, material re-handlers and forklift trucks may be used, but how can we ensure that we use these types of equipment to their maximum capabilities but in the safest way possible?
Why not start with the basics...
Pre-Operational Checks
The pre-operational checks of any equipment may well be the most important element to an operator’s daily routine. The operator should be competent to carry out a detailed inspection of the equipment, beginning with isolating the equipment before conducting checks such as damages, fluid levels, under carriage of the machine, wheels/tyres/tracks, attachments etc. before moving inside the cab and checking the seat, levers, switches. Final operational checks consist of the hydraulics, steering and brakes. Any defects must be reported, and a schedule of maintenance must be followed before any work with the equipment can commence.
Attachments
A key piece of mobile plant equipment used across all waste sites are material re -handlers. This machine can work with a number of different attachments such as a grapple, compactor, bucket or a magnet and can become complex in their use.
Attachments are either fixed to the equipment and removed by maintenance personnel or by the use a quick hitch system which is a latching device that enables attachments to be connected to the dipper arm of the equipment and interchanged quickly. A material re-handler operator may change the bucket on his excavator up to 30 times a day in order to maximise the machine productivity.
A significant number of all accidents investigated on excavators are attributed to the attachment detaching from a quick hitch and injuring a ground worker, most of which are fatal/ major injuries. All operators must be trained on the use of attachments including using the quick hitch system. There are 3 types of quick hitches:
• A manual system requiring the operator to change the bucket manually by removing the safety bar.
• Semi-automatic systems requiring the operator to manually remove the safety pin before hydraulically removing the attachment.
• Automatic systems that are operated entirely from the cab.
Safe Operation on Site
Whether you are stockpiling, compacting or transferring material from one place to another, you must always consider the following questions before you allow work to commence -
• Is the environment safe? Are there any hazards?
• Are the ground conditions suitable for the type of equipment?
• Will the equipment need to go indoors? If so, are there any overhead obstructions?
• Is there other equipment working within close proximity?
If you are operating the equipment, you must always have a clear line of vision with adequate room for the equipment to work, however sometimes the equipment will have to work in an area with limited operational room whilst still being used to its full potential; visual aids e.g. camera and mirrors can aid all round vision if the view is obscured. Site risk assessments and Safe Systems of Work will determine what aids are sufficient and possibly employing the services of a trained banksman.
Understand the limitations of your equipment; you must never exceed the lifting capacities of the equipment, especially when using any attachments. We see far too often in a busy operational environment that operators are keen to get the job done as quickly as possible collecting more materials than the machine can cater for, resulting in equipment failure, tipping over of the machine or even worse.
Machine Shutdown
The importance of safely shutting down your machine is just as crucial as the set up. Any defects must be reported to management following the operator’s final walk round checks. When parking, ensure the equipment is parked so that the first movement can be forwards; do not park where it creates a hazard such as doorways, access point or in front of safety equipment. When exiting your cab, ensure access steps are undamaged and accessible allowing 3-points of contact for a safe exit to be maintained at all times.
For more information on safely using mobile plant for waste operations or to book your mobile plant training today, contact our expert training team today. Call us on 01246 386900.
www.hub-4.com May/June - Issue 62
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