Equipment operators are the base of the construction business as they know how to operate heavy pieces of machinery and deal with potential hazards. Operating, and inspecting these types of heavy equipment and their parts demand a proper skill-set, knowledge, training, and a lot of experience.
But, are their training and skills reliable enough to complete the construction project successfully? If not, this can be a big indication of financial and legal risks in the future. Moreover, the chances are that you are neglecting significant signs that your operators need more training.
Instead of waiting for the day when the lack of training turns out to create disasters and life-threatening situations, observe them, and make a plan to improve.
Further, lack of training can expose a new set of risks not only for employees, but also for equipment costs and expenses. How can you tell if the operators need more training? Here are four signs that indicate the same:
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Poor Maintenance=Inappropriate Equipment Functionality!
Poor maintenance and inappropriate use of equipment can be the first sign that the operator needs training. It often shows early signs of wear and tear and can cost you more than you expected in the form of replacement parts. For instance, undercarriages and tires can considerably impact in terms of cost.
Moreover, untrained operators can also cost you money in terms of two factors that is machine alerts and inspections. If operators are not trained on a specific piece, how they suppose to inspect it?
The same is applicable for machine alerts since the equipment technology continues to grow; alerts are put into the right place to warn the operator if something is wrong. How can you rely on someone who doesn’t know what to do? So, it is important to observe things before they become destructive.
Accidents and Hazards Rates Skyrocket
If you are experiencing accidents on your worksite frequently, you have probably started the investigation. Looking into the level of equipment training that operators have is a way to that, as unskilled operators relatively cause accidents more.
You must have known about “fatal four” by now, which also includes “struck by an object.” It means being struck by equipment or an object because of inattentiveness and many other reasons. It is no surprise that aerial lift certification is the only way to protect yourself and other people from various hazards.
A Sudden Rise in Fuel Costs
A trained operator can consume less fuel while driving the lift, unlike untrained ones. How? One of the fundamentals lies in idle time. It is estimated that idle time can cost a significant amount of fuel along with total running time.
Further, unskilled operators may run the machinery at full RPMs (Revolutions/minute) without any necessity, costing more fuel. Considering the fuel consumption, it can never cost you more than an untrained operator.
Failing To Meet the Production Goals and Deadlines
If you have been wondering why you are failing to meet the company goals and deadlines, relax- because many are facing the same. It is difficult to pinpoint the reason, since there are enough factors that may disturb your work schedule. It includes suppliers, materials, weather, and untrained operators. There are high chances that inexperienced operators are playing a part in missing deadlines.
Trained operators know how to get the most out of equipment, and so they do their work faster without compromising quality. For instance, if you have a specific piece of equipment that the operators have not been trained on, the possibilities are they are using it inefficiently. This means that the overall work is not being run effectively and efficiently.
There may be many things that you cannot control the weather, but you can ensure that operators are adequately trained!
