When you are working with heavy equipment and machinery, you have to respect it. These big and powerful machines can cause some serious damage if you neglect to treat them properly. While many people understand the dangers that come with them, there are still thousands of people throughout Australia that get seriously injured, and in some cases fatally wounded, because they do not respect the machinery.

Now, these injuries can happen to anyone – from the seasoned professional to the person renting out the machinery for the day. The idea is to prepare yourself for the worst case scenario so that you can use any used machinery, including excavators and tractors, safely. That is why we have come up with some general rules for you:

  1. Make sure that you have informed yourself of the machines’ operation so that you know as much about it as you can. Learn it inside-out and familiarise yourself with the technical side. Practice using it over and over again before you go ahead and hire it for your project. This way you will be confident when using it.

  2. Walk around and inspect the vehicle to make sure that everything is in proper working order before you start using it. Check the tires, the mechanisms, and the handles to ensure that everything is right before go-time. Heads up, if you notice any cracks, damages or potential problems, don’t use it. Better safe than sorry.

  3. Keep communication open with everyone around you. The last thing you want is to cause an accident by not keeping your ears and eyes open. You can’t assume people know what you are going to do and vice-versa.

  4. Follow the limitations of your machine. For example: if there is a certain weight that your tractor can hold, then don’t go over it. The last thing you want is to have an accident or damage your vehicle because you think you can exceed the limits.

  5. Always load and unload equipment on the level ground to reduce the risk of rollovers, and keep the area clear.

  6. Turn off the vehicle before you exit it. This might sound so simple, but you will be shocked that some people that completely ignore this. The last thing you want is an excavator just running on its own.

  7. When you do get off the machine, always get off it properly. The number of times that people have fallen off their equipment is high. We advise that exiting the machinery slowly and steadily is safest. You don’t want to hurt yourself after you’ve worked so far to finish your job.

By carefully following these safety steps, you will be able to use your used machinery and equipment without any major problems.  If you are looking for the best-used agriculture and construction machinery in Victoria, visit the experienced professionals here at Godings.