Backhoe Safety Tip

[hitekcountry]

Sometimes it’s the little things that you wouldn’t even consider could cause a problem. I ran into one today that doesn’t seem like much but once you think about it it’s obvious you can get yourself hurt.

I was running the backhoe today and what I was working on I needed to get down off the tractor to do one thing or another and than back up to run the BH. I did this quite a number times today. The problem was I was wearing a Tshirt and it wasn’t tucked in, so a couple of times as I climbed down I raised my arms to grab the FOP with one hand and the BH boom with the other and my shirt would ride up and slip over the BH control lever, so as I stepped down something would start moving depending which way my shirt was pulling the lever. The first time it happened I just thought it was a fluke, then when it happened again I decided to tuck in my shirt

I then got to thinking about what’s the worst thing that could have happened in this case, and what I came up with is if I had gotten off on the right side (facing forward) and hooked the lever on that side, and then slipped and fell against the boom, then my shirt pulled the lever to the side which would swing the boom all the way to the right side, I could be crushed.

So now I have two new rules for myself when I’m using the BH:

1 always have my shirt tucked in and watch the control levers as I get up or down.

2 Never get up or down from the BH seat on the right side which is the side of the boom swing control lever.

 

[Lazy]

Hi
My BH swing lever has a clip that prevents the lever from moving if you put it into place before getting off the backhoe. it gets to be a habit after awhile to flip the clip into place before leaving the seat.

Charlie.

 

[SkyPup]

Thanks for the nice tip, it is simple things like that than can prevent you from experiencing a serious injury. I too have often had the same problem with the BH joysticks as well as the FEL joystick when I exit the right side of the tractor.

Having holes in your clothes can often result in the same occurence.

 

[rswyan]

I have a rule when getting on or off the backhoe - I always grab the handbar with BOTH hands ... and then step up or down.

This rule came about shortly after I first started using the 'hoe - I went to climb on or off (don't remember which) with only one hand on the handle bar and I missed my footing on the step and sorta fell half off/half on , losing my grip on the handle bar - my feet were dangling and my upper body fell across the control levers, activating the swing and sending it over towards where my head was at that moment. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Fortunately I lived to tell about it with only a badly skinned up shin bone and a very rapidly pounding heart.

 

[escavader]

At my work,at a major lumber producer,all mill and yard workers are trained annually on forklift operating,and safety. One of the things taught,and that i bring home to my tractor,loader,backhoe,is you always mount and dismount on the side without the control levers.Another thing is ,if possible set your forks[or bucket,or hoe]down,take out of gear,set the break
ESCAVADER

 

[JimMorrissey]

Good safety tip Hite! I'll try to start making a habit of it.

The right side is also where my SMV sign is hung on the machine which makes it even more crowded as one if getting off and forces you into the control levers.

 

[dmccarty]

hitekcountry,

I have had clothes hang up on the BH controls and cause it to move. Not a good thing. Your post got me to thinking....

With the fact that the boom can crush you, when I have to remove/place the pins the prevent the boom from moving I do a couple of things. First of all I lower my stabilizers so that the are roughly parallel to the ground. To do this I stand by the rear tire, place my left hand on the tractor's fender handle, and use my right hand to lower the stabilizers. This keeps me from getting crushed by the stabilzers. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

The stabilizers in ths position keep me from moving my legs and most of my body into the swing area of the boom so I can fairly safely remove/place the pins that prevent boom movement.

With the stablizers parallel to the ground its a little easier to get up on the operator platform. When I'm on the platform and I'm going to get off and move the tractor I put the stabilizers in the same parallel position to help me get off easily. With the configuration of the BH and tractor a slip getting off the operatior platform could really mess you up.

When I remove/place the pins to prevent BH movement. I first put in the pin that stops the boom from moving left/right. The last pin that I put in is the one that stops the dipper stick from moving out/in. If I'm on the BH and its time to pin it up, I put the pin in the boom to prevent its movement, get off and then pin the dipperstick. I'f I'm getting on the BH I remove the pin holding the movement of the dipperstick, get up on the BH and then remove the pin for the boom.

Back to the point of your post, I think I'll start placing the boom all the way over to the right side of the tractor when I get off to operator platform and I'm not pinning up the BH. I get on and off the BH on the same side, tractor left, as I do on the tractor, so putting the BH off to the right even if my clothes grab the controls I'll have time to correct the problem or get the heck ouf of Dodge. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif At least in theory. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Later,
Dan

 

[KubotaSteve]

I used to work at a large vinyl siding place which sold vinyl windows as well. I worked in the office but still had to be shown the forklift operation. About a month before I started, a guy was on the forklift moving siding as other guys were loading the delivery trucks. Of course siding and windows are everywhere because we were so busy. One of the guys had a small stock 3050 window setting on a box and it began to slide off. The guy on the forklift jumped off to catch window to avoid it breaking. The forklift had a tendancy to jump into gear and jumped into reverse. By the time anyone realized it, the forklift had back through a complete order of custom windows. No one got hurt but the guy's pride because he was trying to do something good and ended up causing a lot bigger mess.

 

[keeney]

What is wrong with this picture?

<font color="red">
"... The forklift had a tendancy to jump into gear ... "
</font>

Maybe somebody should have taken the unit out of service and had the thing fixed after the "tendancy" was first noticed?

If somebody had gotten hurt, I am sure a statement like that would be worth a good chunk of change in additional punitive damages collected by any 1st-year law student.

- Rick