When the cold, wintery weather hits, the UK comes to a halt until it’s cleared. In comparison to most typical types of transport, construction machinery carries on despite the snow. Health and safety is a phrase that comes to light in all workplaces. However we thought it would be good to put together our top tips for working safely in the wintery weather.
SAFETY TIP NUMBER 1:
Whether you’re working on a construction site or completing plant training with us, we urge anyone to be cautious when starting up any machines.
The cold temperatures will mean that the machinery may take longer to start up. If that particular machine is idle for a long time it could potentially need to be jump started.
We always advise that someone with extensive knowledge performs the jump start. If it is done incorrectly it could cause damage to the machine and the electrical system.
SAFETY TIP NUMBER 2:
Once the machine has successfully been started up, we would always suggest letting construction machinery tick over and warm up first. Inexperienced operators will soon find out that a huge amount of pressure will be put on vital parts of the digger if used from cold.
SAFETY TIP NUMBER 3:
Just like a car, an operator should take care when operating diggers or other construction machinery. We know we are probably stating the obvious, but a lot of operators seem to forget this.
The main thing to look out for is frozen and icy patches of terrain. When the temperatures drop below freezing it is very common, even on a construction site. On our training ground, we will do our very best to clear any hazards such as this but it is always good for operators to be looking out for this too.
If you’re looking to book onto any of our excavator courses, we would highly recommend training on a digger that is wheeled, or using a backhoe loader. Moving around becomes a lot easier due to the traction of the wheels instead of tracks, especially for novices!
SAFETY TIP NUMBER 4:
When operating a digger it is important that the driver can visibly see the site around them. Accidents are more likely to happen when there isn’t clear visibility. Whether this be from heavy snowfall, or that the icy temperatures have caused frost or condensation on the machine.
It is common sense to keep windows clear and clean, but how many people don’t wait for the windscreen to fully clear when they drive a car? Construction sites are hazardous when machinery is involved, so we wouldn’t want the chances of accidents happening to increase.
Maintenance checks should be carried out regularly before used plant equipment. It is always best to do this more frequently during the colder months. It is beneficial to check that all the main components are working properly, for example the defroster!
SAFETY TIP NUMBER 5:
Lastly, we would always recommend operators to always wear the correct personal protective equipment. On top of the standard hard hats and hi-vis, we would suggest gloves are worn when working during winter. As temperatures drop, the surface of diggers can get extremely cold. We wouldn’t recommend touching anything without bare hands. It’s just as much a safety hazard as anything else!
HEALTH AND SAFETY COURSES AVAILABLE AT THE DIGGERLAND PLANT TRAINING SCHOOL
We are here to ensure operators are being as safe as they can whilst operating machinery. Here at our plant training school, we also have plenty of our health and safety courses available to book. Maximise your knowledge, and stay safe on any construction site!
Individuals can choose to book the following health and safety courses:
- S001 – Safety Awareness
- N726 – Quick Hitch Awareness
- N120 – Plant Loader Securer
- First Aid Courses
- N404 – Working at Height
- N704 – Manual Handling Course
- N304 – Cable Avoidance Course
- N723 – Harness and fall arrest
- Fire Warden
CONTACT US TODAY TO BOOK
At the Diggerland Plant Training School in Kent, we are here to help anyone looking to get qualifications in the construction sector. Not only do we offer health and safety courses in Medway, we also have plenty of other NPORS accredited construction courses to choose from.
Due to the ongoing national pandemic, we are still able to operate as we are a sector still open. We do have all of the required health and safety procedures in place, in line with government restrictions. However, if you feel more comfortable we can also offer one to one training courses.
We have a number of highly experienced instructors on hand to help you learn. We are more than happy to discuss a particular course in detail if it’s something you’re interested in.
To get in contact with us or to book onto our courses please call: 01634 295355 or email us at: mail@digger.school.
Stay safe!
ABOUT DIGGERLAND
Diggerland is a unique construction based theme park that allows children as well as adults, to drive and operate real life diggers and other plant equipment. Besides their main park in Kent, there are also parks based in Devon, Durham and Yorkshire.
Apart from skid steers, the theme park has a large range of construction machinery including:
- Mini and Midi Excavators
- Telehandlers
- Dumper Trucks
- JCB 3CX Backhoe Loaders
At Diggerland there are currently 20 different rides and drives, each based on various plant equipment. Diggerland has to have the latest machines available for their customers, so it’s only right that we are able to use them for training purposes too!
CONTACT THE TEAM TODAY!
There are plenty of plant training schools around the UK, however you’ll be in the prime location at the Diggerland Plant Training School. We have the best, and latest machinery available to use for training purposes.
If you want to book onto our Skid Steer courses, then we have a number of highly skilled operators on hand ready to help. We are open from 8am – 6pm 7 days a week. We can arrange a time and date to suit you or your company.
Aside from Skid Steer courses, we can also run the following:
- Excavator courses
- Dumper courses
- Telehandler courses
- Healthy & Safety courses
- Roller courses
Email us today or give us a call to book on. At this time, we are happy to accept individuals or groups, in line with government guidelines.
Let’s get learning!
