Safety Tips: During Excavator Operation

Excavators are powerful pieces of machinery. They can make a big difference for work site efficiency - but given their size and power potential, they do come with some safety risks.

Fortunately, once you start up your excavator, there are steps you can take in order to keep the experience stress-free. Be sure to use the following safe excavator operation tips!

Use Safe Driving Habits

There are some general rules that are great to abide by, such as:

• Try to stick to a route that is as flat as possible. 
• During transport, keep the excavator bucket low to the ground. This will help increase visibility as well as keep the excavator stable. 
• When you need to turn, make gradual changes rather than sharp turns. Focus on keeping the excavator as steady as possible.

As the old saying goes, slow is steady and steady is fast!

Adapt to the Environment

Odds are, your work site is not going to be free of obstacles or challenges. Be aware of the area so you can easily adjust your driving as needed. 

For example:

• If you hit a patch of unpredictable terrain or a congested area, reduce your speed. 
• If you need to travel up a slope, do so vertically instead of diagonally. 
• If you need to go down a slope, the excavator’s bucket bottom should be low and parallel to the ground.

If you are looking to buy an excavator, check out the selection at Alex Power Equipment. We are located in Alexandria, Minnesota, and also serve those in Sartell and St. Cloud.