This Safety Notice focuses on the use of safety control levers or isolation devices and is relevant to all excavator operators, slingers and anyone who is working in their vicinity.
The importance of safety control levers and isolation devices
People can get struck by the excavator or the load if the excavator operator does not use the safety control lever or isolation device correctly. These should be applied when:
- People enter the operational arc of an excavator or similar mobile plant
- It is sitting at rest (but ticking over)
Unintended movement of the plant can occur, and the safety control lever should be used to prevent this.
As an example of where this did not occur, a slinger was fatally crushed between the quick hitch and a fixed structure. The operator did not engage the safety control lever when leaning out of the cab to talk to the slinger in question. If he had, the inadvertent contact made with the left-hand joystick, would not have allowed the excavator to slew and subsequently crush him.
What to do?
Duty holders must ensure the safety of persons using and surrounding the plant and its load by undertaking proper planning, management and monitoring of the work activities.
Safety control levers or another means of isolating plant must be correctly used by the plant’s operator(s), and it is the duty holder’s (i.e., the operator’s supervisor, manager, the principal contractor, etc.) responsibility to monitor that this part of the safe working procedure is being properly implemented.
Equipment operators and all workers who are in the immediate vicinity should be aware of their surroundings, the importance of isolating plant, and when this measure should be applied. The machine operator needs to communicate to other site users when it is safe to approach the plant they are using.
Risk Assess the Activity
As with all tasks and activities, plant use must be the subject of a robust but suitable and sufficient risk assessment. This must be conducted prior to the activities commencing, especially with regards to an excavator being used as lifting equipment. A detailed lifting plan would be an essential part of that assessment, along with the route the excavator will take, the load’s weight and centre of gravity, and the potential for ground movement or any ground instability.
Competency
Employers or duty holders must ensure that machine operators, slingers and others are competent for the task. This means that they have been appropriately trained and assessed. Competence also includes having experience, knowledge, and other qualities so machine operators and operatives can properly undertake their duties.
Final Note
While excavators are primarily designed for digging, they can be used for lifting in specific, controlled circumstances. This includes:
- Situations where purpose-built lifting equipment isn’t feasible,
- The excavator is properly adapted with suitable attachments or,
- The task falls under LOLER-defined lifting operations (all lifting activities must be thoroughly planned, supervised, and supported by a robust risk assessment).
Please remember: LOLER and PUWER regulations apply whilst being used for these purposes, and excavators not designed for lifting must never be used to lift suspended loads.
If this safety notice has raised questions or you need to discuss any other health & safety related issue, please do not hesitate to contact us for assistance.