The most well-maintained heavy equipment used on construction sites can inevitably fail, requiring pricey maintenance or more expensive replacements. In addition, work remains at a standstill until fixes occur or new equipment is purchased.
Caterpillar, a prominent provider of equipment for close to 100 years, conducted a study revolving around unplanned downtime for project managers, revealing 400 to 800 nonproductive hours not only each day but also the machines, not to mention the injuries that occur involving faulty equipment.
The impact of equipment failure
While any type of equipment can fail for various reasons, certain types of equipment are more likely to cause production disruptions and significant stress for managers and team members:
- Forklifts
- Bulldozers
- Scrapers
- Excavators
- Tractors
Training issues
Operators who lack the training necessary to maintain high safety standards represent a clear and present danger to not only projects but also workers in the same area. Lacking the skills to operate and troubleshoot should result in immediate re-training or employment termination.
Poor preventative maintenance
Routine maintenance is the backbone of a construction project’s success. Equipment that runs better due to servicing, checks, and equipment repair and parts replacement significantly increases productivity and ensures a longer lifespan.
Operator’s manual omissions
With heavy machinery comes an owner’s manual that covers everything from calibration to troubleshooting. Training leads to confidence in its use. However, comfort could lead to a more lax approach to daily work routines. Even worse, failure to even read the manuals put all workers at risk while significantly increasing repair costs.
Construction sites carry inherent dangers that are only made worse by oversights, not to mention poor management and maintenance. Serious injuries can sideline and end the careers of hardworking employees, often requiring help from an experienced personal injury attorney.
