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814 Heavy Equipment Safety
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Equipment Operator Safety

It is the operator's responsibility to know how to operate heavy equipment safely. Operators without proper license to operate specific equipment must not be allowed to.

A qualified employee operating heavy equipment.
It is the operator's responsibility to know how to operate heavy equipment safely.

Operators must know the proper use and limitations of specific equipment. If the equipment is not designed for a specific task, it should not be used for that job. Operators should know the safe operating practices of specific equipment available in the manufacturer's instructions. If manufacturer's instructions are not available, the manufacturer should be contacted to get it.

Safety features such as kill switches, guards, shields, reverse alarms, roll bars, or control bars must not be modified or removed. The transmission shafts should be covered. For details, refer to the manufacturer's instructions for specific equipment.

If an operator is sick, fatigued, or taking medication that may affect his/her ability to safely operate heavy equipment, he/she should notify the supervisor. Such situations can cause physical or mental impairment to operate heavy equipment.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

4-1. Who's responsibility is it to ensure the operator knows how to operate the heavy equipment safely?