Excavation, Lifting, Attachment Use, and Working Near Hazards and Services
Excavation work requires planning: a permit to dig where services may be present, use of service plans and locators, safe digging practice (hand digging near marked services), and support or battering of excavation sides where there is a risk of collapse. Spoil placement must not surcharge the trench edge. The operator must know the depth and reach limits of the machine and the bucket, and must not undermine the machine's own footing.
Lifting with an excavator is a lifting operation and must be planned by a competent person, with suitable lifting points and attachments, rated capacity known, and the load controlled. The machine must be on firm, level ground, with the load kept close and low, and movements slow and smooth. Quick-hitch and attachment changes carry specific risks: the attachment must be correctly engaged and locked, and the machine configured so that a sudden release cannot trap anyone. Buckets, breakers and grabs each have their own operating considerations.
Working near hazards includes overhead power lines (respect exclusion distances and use a banksman or goalposts), buried services (gas, electricity, water, telecoms, drainage), and other plant. If a service is struck, stop, move people away, and follow the emergency procedure for that service.
Traps: assuming a service plan is complete; lifting a load without a plan because it is quick; and changing an attachment without confirming the lock. Another trap is using the bucket as a crane without rated capacity information.
Rule of thumb: never assume; locate, mark, and dig with care. Worked example: a gas main is damaged during digging. Stop work, evacuate the area, remove ignition sources, and call the emergency services and the gas transporter.