Two tips for safely moving an excavator to a new site
Posted on: 7 August 2019
Whilst moving a heavy piece of machinery like an excavator to a new site has its challenges, there are steps that can be taken to make this journey as safe and straightforward as possible. Continue reading if you'd like to find out more about how to carry out this transportation process in a safe manner.
Check the stability of the loading ramps after the excavator has been driven onto the trailer and the ramps have been lifted up
Most excavator trailers come with a pair of integrated loading ramps, which when lowered, allow the excavator that is being loaded onto the trailer to safely ascend from the ground to the base of this vehicle. Then after the excavator is on the trailer, these loading ramps are lifted upwards. The individuals who are involved in the transportation of this item should ensure that the ramps are completely stable after they have been lifted up. To check this, they should press their hands firmly against each of the ramps. If they notice that either of them yields under this pressure and starts to fall downwards, they should inspect the pins or latches that are supposed to keep them lifted up.
The reason for this is that when elevated, the ramps serve as a type of wall that stops the excavator from sliding off the back of the trailer. If these loading ramps fall down when the driver is on the road with the trailer in tow, two incidents could potentially occur: firstly, the fallen ramps could scrape against the ground and end up badly damaged by this friction. Secondly, the excavator could roll down the ramps and slide off them onto the ground. This could bring the line of traffic behind the trailer to a halt and result in the driver having to reload the excavator in the middle of the road, which could be dangerous and time-consuming. Given this, the stability of the loading ramps must be checked after they have been lifted up.
Never allow anyone to sit in the cab of the excavator whilst it is being transported on a trailer
If an extra person needs to come along on this journey and all of the seats in the van that is being used to transport the trailer are occupied, they might be tempted to travel in the excavator's cab instead of using a different mode of transportation to get to the site. However, the driver should not permit this person to do this, as it could be highly dangerous for everyone involved in this journey.
For example, if the keys are left in the excavator (which is often the case, as the excavator needs to be driven onto and off of the trailer), the person in the cab could accidentally press a button or lean on a lever, which could cause the excavator's bucket to move upwards or the excavator itself to be propelled forward or backward. In the case of the former, the bucket could collide with any bridges or tree branches that the van drives under and be damaged by this. The latter could lead to the excavator striking the trailer walls or the lifted loading ramps, which could then cause them to crack.
To learn more, get in contact with a provider of excavation trailers in your area.
Share