If you work in a business that uses heavy equipment, it’s essential to understand electrical hazards. You can prevent fires and injuries by using the right safety gear and following proper safety protocols.
Here are seven ways your business can prevent electrical hazards when using heavy equipment.
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Maintain the machines
Heavy machinery requires regular maintenance to ensure proper functioning. If you don’t maintain your equipment, it can become damaged and eventually fail. To prevent accidents and injuries, make sure you have a qualified mechanic who can perform routine maintenance on your heavy equipment.
Predict and prevent asset failures to extend lifecycles and reduce downtime
Asset failures can cost your business money. They can also lead to costly downtime, so it’s vital to prevent them from happening in the first place. To do that, you need enterprise asset management (EAM) software.
EAM software helps with predictive maintenance by identifying assets at risk of failure, so you can take steps to keep them working longer. It also allows you to identify ways to reduce maintenance costs by performing more efficiently and effectively.
Use ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs)
A GFCI is an electrical device that cuts power when it senses a small amount of current running through a person’s body or ground fault condition (when electricity travels from one wire through another wire without completing its path back to its source).
GFCI helps prevent electrocution if someone accidentally touches something electrically charged, like metal tools or pipes, while standing on wet ground or water-filled areas.
Keep tie-downs and cables away from moving parts
Tie-downs are ropes or straps attached to heavy equipment that keep it from moving during operation. They help prevent accidents by keeping the equipment from falling onto workers or damaging other objects nearby, like buildings or vehicles.
Cables are also vital because they transmit power from generators/batteries to motors on heavy equipment so they operate correctly without interruption. It’s essential to keep these tie-downs and cables away from moving parts, so they don’t get caught up in machinery and cause injuries during the operation.
Wear insulated footwear
Insulated footwear is essential when working near electrical hazards like live wires, cables, and outlets. Not wearing insulated footwear increases the risk of being electrocuted.
Insulated footwear protects your feet from electricity by providing an air gap between your skin and the ground. Suppose you come into contact with an electrical source during work activities. In that case, there’s enough time for your body’s natural resistance to kick in before any severe damage occurs. In that case, you can prevent electrocution.
Make sure everyone knows what they’re doing
If you own a large company with multiple employees (or even just a small business with only one employee), ensure everyone has the proper training on how to use each piece of equipment safely before allowing access.
This can include making sure they know what the equipment does, how to use it correctly and safely, and what safety precautions to take.
Avoiding “hot spots”
When you’re operating heavy machinery, you need to be aware of the hot spots on your equipment. When these hot spots are left unattended, they can lead to an electrical fire or explosion.
To prevent this type of hazard, you must regularly inspect your equipment for any signs of wear and tear and any loose parts or broken wires. Make sure there are no areas that are overheating or sparking.
Stay Safe While Operating Heavy Machinery
Using heavy machinery is an essential part of most businesses. It helps to speed up the process and make it more efficient. However, there are also certain dangers associated with handling this type of equipment.
Businesses should ensure that their heavy equipment is safe before employees begin working. This includes making sure that there are no exposed wires, checking for any frayed cords or faulty gears, and ensuring that no one has tampered with the machine in any way.
Following these safety measures will help prevent electric accidents when handling heavy equipment.
