Site Safety
What the exam tests
Site Safety tests hazard control around heavy machinery: exclusion zones, overhead and underground services, excavations, weather, dust, noise and emergency response. The exam expects you to stop work when a hazard is uncontrolled.
Core rules
- Wear the required PPE for the site: helmet, boots, high-visibility clothing, eye and hearing protection. Keep the cab clear and the access steps clean.
- Establish an exclusion zone around the machine's swing and travel path. Keep pedestrians out unless they are authorised and the machine is stopped.
- Locate overhead power lines and underground services before digging. Use a spotter and barriers; if clearance is uncertain, stop and request isolation.
- Protect excavations from collapse and keep machines back from the edge. Check ground conditions after rain.
- Control dust with water or dust suppression, limit unnecessary idling and report spills.
Worked example
An excavator must work near an 11 kV overhead line. The supervisor marks the line, sets goal posts and a spotter, and confirms the safe clearance with the utility. The operator stops if the spotter loses sight or if the bucket approaches the marked limit. Rubber tyres do not make contact safe; electricity can arc across an air gap.
Traps
Do not assume rubber tyres insulate the machine. Do not dig before checking service drawings. Do not rely on a horn instead of an exclusion zone. Do not work under a raised load.
Key points
- Keep pedestrians outside the swing zone.
- Check overhead and underground services before work.
- Use barriers and a spotter near power lines.
- Stop work when clearance is uncertain.