Precautions to Take When Running an Excavator

Excavator is heavy equipment used in the construction work for digging trenches, excavating mines, lifting waste, and breaking holes. It features a bucket, arm, cab, boom, and movable tracks. All these components offer mobility and superior digging power to perform several functions.

That’s why excavators are widely used in heavy commercial and industrial construction work, including mining, building construction, road construction, demolitions, and more.

It’s not hard to run an excavator, but you have to be adequately trained and pay proper attention before operating one. Here is a quick guide to make you understand how to run an excavator. Here are the steps to follow:

Starting The Excavator

• Adjust to your seat position, making sure that your feet reach the pedals and you can maneuver all the handles comfortably. Close the doors and then fasten your seatbelt.
• Turn in the key and let it stay idle for the machine to warm up
• There is a red lever on your left that unlocks the controls. Push the lever until you get a click sound.

Move Boom And Cab

• Move the right joystick back and forth to raise and lower the boom
• Move the right joystick to open and close the bucket.
• Push the left joystick forward and backward to move the arm forward and backward.
• Move the left joystick left and right to rotate the cab.

Driving The Excavator

• There are two pedals with handles attached to them. The handles are in front of you. You can choose to drive by handle or pedal, which you can either operate with feet or hands. If you are learning, start with your hands.
• Press both pedals forward simultaneously to move forward. You can do this either with your hands or feet. The pressure you apply determines the speed of the excavator.
• Pull back on both the handles simultaneously to move backward. But be sure to check behind when reversing.
• If you want to turn, press down the pedal on the opposite side, you want to turn. Like, pressing the right pedal turns the excavator left, and vice versa.

Precautions To Take When Running An Excavator

Excavator has only one seat for the driver. So don’t permit anyone else in the cab. Always operate the excavator when you have adjusted in your seat and are in total control. Be careful when working in rough terrains and congested areas.

Handle the Bucket Properly

Keep the bucket low for visibility and machine stability during transportation. Also, keep it on the ground when the excavator is not in use. If the area is sloppy, move vertically. Extend the boom and the arm, keeping the bucket low and rolled out when propelling up a slope.

Be Careful on Slopes

Do not try to completely turn the machine and keep it as straight as possible. When you are coming down a slope, keep the bucket low and parallel to the ground. Work with propel motors at the rear of the machine so that it can give you better stability.

Only ride an excavator when you ultimately know how to run an excavator? Your negligence can lead to accidents. Therefore, you need to take all the precautions while riding an excavator. If you don’t take precautions, it may not only hurt someone but also bring damage to your equipment.