These days, building site accidents are rarer than they’ve ever been…something that’s nothing but a blessing, whichever way you look at it. With so much more advanced equipment, stricter policies and widespread awareness than ever before, it’s so much less common to hear of minor and major accidents alike on the UK’s thousands of building sites.
However, wherever there are human beings involved in these kinds of ventures there will always be accidents – preventable and otherwise. Generally speaking, the overwhelming majority of building site accidents as of right now tend to be 100% the result of human error rather than equipment failure or malfunction, meaning that even further improvements could be made were all site workers across the board to comprehensively abide by health and safety rules.
Take telehandlers for example – these are among the most sophisticated pieces of kit any building site is likely to feature. But at the same time, used or approached improperly they can be dangerous pieces of kit to say the least.
So, with this in mind, here’s a quick look at the five most common causes of on-site telehandler accidents:
1 – Ignoring Limitations
First and foremost, all telehandlers for hire across the board will come with a pretty extensive list of rules, advice and instructions with regard to what the equipment can and cannot do. For example, some may tell you not to lift loads over 300kg and others may warn against operating on angles of more than 30 degrees. So when and where these guidelines are either ignored or not read in the first place, it’s hardly the machine that’s to blame for the potentially catastrophic results. To ignore the well-communicated limitations that apply to any piece of on-site machinery is to roll the dice with fate…never a good idea.
2 – Assuming it’s Easy
Another common cause of on-site accidents comes in the form of site workers assuming that telehandlers are easy to drive and operate. In reality of course, common sense should tell most people that safely operating an incredibly heavy and powerful tool like this is something that takes plenty of time to master and skill to carry out without presenting a hazard. As such, to assume that just because you can drive a car you can also drive one of these can be a dangerous attitude to say the very least. If you haven’t been given the necessary training and aren’t certified to be doing so, realistically you shouldn’t be taking the wheel or the controls of a telehandler.
3 – Buying Poor Equipment
In terms of accidents caused by the machinery itself, this generally only ever tends to be a problem when the quality and condition of the machinery are both rather on the poor side. For example, if you were to buy a telescopic handler that had clearly been put through the wars on dozens of occasions and never serviced, it should come as no surprise if and when it falls to pieces…perhaps with drastic consequences. The simple fact of the matter is that the safety of these machines and of those in their vicinity during operation will depend on their state of repair. So, if it’s not in the kind of condition that instills confidence, you probably shouldn’t be using it.
4 – Unclear Boundaries
It often isn’t necessary for the machine itself to be in full operation to cause problems on-site – even moving it to and from any given location can be hazardous if handled improperly. One of the most common causes of all accidents across the board on building sites is that of unclear boundaries or boundaries being avoided. There will be…or at least should be…clearly separated areas for pedestrians and machinery/vehicles to move around. So, if anyone ignores these warnings, it’s really nobody else’s fault if and when they end up in harm’s way.
5 – Rushing Jobs
Last but not least, it would be great if the human race could erect huge buildings with the snap of a finger, but of course this isn’t the case. Instead, it takes a great deal of patience to carry out even the most modest of component construction jobs successfully, which is why rushing is never a good idea. This is particularly so when handling things like telescopic lifters as to rush their operation is to risk crossing the line into territory the machine cannot handle. From drops to tips to collisions and more, it’s a long list of risks and hazards that really aren’t worth factoring in just to speed things up very slightly.
