How can spotters help prevent heavy equipment accidents?

Accidents involving heavy equipment can happen quickly on the job site. Oftentimes, they result in serious injuries or death, so being aware when you are around this equipment is essential to safety.

One of the best tools on a job site with heavy equipment is a spotter. According to LaborPress.org, a spotter is someone who manages the worksite by watching out for potential hazards and directing workers to keep things flowing.

Giving directions

The spotter is somewhat like a traffic cop who directs traffic. A spotter can assist when moving equipment or when working in tight areas. He or she will watch out for incidents that could become dangerous and step in to help. For example, if someone is moving around an area on a piece of equipment while others are walking in the same area, the spotter will ensure nobody gets run over.

Spotters and equipment operators need to have open lines of communication. They should have hand signals they use since worksites can be loud and you cannot rely on hearing someone yell.

More tasks

The spotter will also keep work areas safe by removing debris or marking hazards to avoid accidents. Anything that could be dangerous and is not materials or other items needed by workers are things the spotter must watch for and remove as soon as possible.

The spotter can help keep things moving on a worksite while ensuring safety for everyone. It can be hard to avoid heavy equipment accidents but having a spotter on-site makes it much easier to keep everyone safe.