Safe Operation
What the exam tests
Safe Operation tests the operating rules that prevent rollovers, crush injuries and contact with people or structures. Questions cover travel, loading, swinging, parking, refuelling and working near edges.
Core rules
- Wear the seat belt where fitted. Keep limbs inside the cab and keep the bucket or attachment low while travelling.
- No riders unless the machine has a designed passenger seat. Sound the horn before moving or swinging if people may be nearby.
- Keep pedestrians outside the swing radius. Use a banksman where visibility is restricted.
- Travel straight up and down slopes, not across them. Keep the heaviest end uphill and lower the attachment if control is lost.
- Park on level ground, lower attachments, apply the parking brake, neutralise controls and remove the key. Refuel only with the engine off and no ignition source nearby.
Worked example
An excavator must cross a slope. The operator should travel directly up or down with the bucket close to the ground, not across the slope. Travelling across a slope raises the risk of sideways tipping because the centre of gravity moves outside the track width. If the machine starts to slide, lowering the bucket can add contact and help stop movement.
Traps
Do not swing a load over people. Do not use the machine to push or tow unless rated. Do not leave an attachment raised when parking. Do not refuel near an open flame or running engine.
Key points
- Keep the attachment low when travelling.
- No riders without a designed seat.
- Travel straight up and down slopes.
- Park with attachments lowered and key removed.