This morning, fresh off of Thanksgiving dinner(s), our staff gathered to talk about skid steer safety in the factory. Mark made everyone aware that you are never to operate a skid steer from outside the operator compartment. Operators are always to seated when operating the controls.
Mark prepared a list of do’s and don’ts for them to make certain everybody was clear about proper operation.
DO:
- Keep the restrain bar in place.
- Keep your arms, legs and head inside the cab while operating the loader.
- Plan to load and unload on level ground.
- Travel and turn with the bucket in the lowest position possible to achieve maximum stability.
- Avoid travel across slopes.
- Travel straight up or down with the heavy end of the machine pointed down the hill.
- Face the direction of travel as much as possible.
- Keep bystanders away from the work area.
DON’T:
- Exceed the manufacturer’s recommended load capacity for the machine.
- Modify or by-pass the safety devices.
