Tips for the Proper Use & Maintenance of Construction Equipment

The Maintenance of Construction Equipment

Regular maintenance of construction equipment is an important factor in cost control. Equipment maintenance is an effective way of getting the most out of your investment. Excellent maintenance helps minimize, repair and maintenance costs, as well as going miles in maximizing both profit and production, but has the greatest impact on profits.

Other benefits you stand to gain from maintaining your construction equipment include:

• Maintenance adds resale value
• Maintenance minimizes downtime
• Maintenance lengthens equipment life
• Maintenance helps control service intervals and costs

Simply put, proper maintenance of construction equipment can reduce your operating costs significantly, both indirectly and directly. In terms of direct operating costs, it’s related to costly unscheduled repairs and machine downtime. Maintenance will help you indirectly in the sense that your equipment will always be functional thus you’ll not experience any shutdowns that can harm the entire production site. That last thing you want is to suffer thousands if not millions of dollars because of equipment failure.

Routine is Key

Adhering to recommended maintenance schedules as well as regular inspections is a major step towards proper maintenance of your construction equipment. Secondly, you must always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. Remember that nobody knows the equipment better than the manufacturer. So it’s important to adhere to the manufacturer’s manual.

Have Your Own Application Related Maintenance Guide/Rules

Adding your personal application-related maintenance items is another important step to take. For instance, some harsh environments need air filters to be changed frequently. Also, undercarriages exposed to abrasive or corrosive soils require extra attention to detail. These are just some of the items that no manufacturer will ever know when it comes to individual job characteristics.

Adhere to Equipment’s Maintenance Schedule Recommended by the Manufacturer

Doing this ensures the equipment operates at optimum conditions at all times. Furthermore, you should never get tired of performing daily inspections. It goes miles in making sure that you’re able to avoid issues later. Additionally, it extends the life cycle of an equipment. Of great to note is that you need to conduct the daily inspections in an organized manner. For example, visual inspections usually determine operator techniques. On the other hand, you can conduct a deeper or more thorough inspection depending on operator suggestions and/or machine performance.

The Use of Construction Equipment

The selection and use of the appropriate size and type of construction equipment affect the needed effort and time of a project. It also highly affects jobsite productivity. Consequently, it’s not only important to select the right construction equipment, it’s also crucial to use it in the right way. Whether your construction project is paving, drilling, compaction and grading, excavation and loading etc doesn’t matter. You must use the equipment in the way that it’s supposed to.

Construction equipment can be classified into four main categories. The groups are based on use and purpose. They are:

• Construction vehicles
• Earth moving equipment
• Construction equipment
• Material handling equipment

Conduct Proper Training to Equipment Users

Ensure that the people designated to handle construction equipment are extensively trained. Unless someone can efficiently handle the equipment, he or she shouldn’t operate it.

Adhere to Safety Rules

To ensure the construction site remains safe, it’s highly important to observe safety rules religiously. Contrary to how it might sound, feel or look, handling construction equipment isn’t simple. The bedrock of a hazard free experience is safety.

Always Put on Protective Gear

Protected gears such as dipped gloves, fall gear, hard hats, goggles, etc. are great at preventing hazards at the construction site. Industrial ear plugs are also a must have on any construction site.

The equipment used at construction work should be:

• Ideal for the intended use
• Only used by people with necessary training, adequate information and training
• Safe for use
• Used based on specific requirements, for power presses and mobile work equipment

The Use and Maintenance of Construction Safety Equipment

Observing high safety levels in a construction site is very important. It protects site workers from different forms of injury. Safety equipment such as industrial ear plugs and hand protection like coated gloves should never miss in a site. Having them goes miles in protecting everyone at the site from any form of danger.

Construction equipment plays a huge role in any construction, whether big or small. For this reason, it is prudent to use such equipment in the best way possible. Additionally, make sure that you maintain your equipment regularly. Ultimately, you’ll benefit immensely in terms of reduced maintenance and repair costs as well as increased profits.

About the Author

Dennis Kaminski is the owner of SafetyMart. SafetyMart helps customers ranging from private businesses to government/municipal agencies, both large and small to address their safety needs and requirements.