How to Handle Equipment for Sand & Gravel Mining

Sand and gravel equipment takes time and practice to use correctly.

Sand and gravel mining equipment is predominantly done by heavy equipment such as bucket loaders, backhoes and dump trucks. You will need to learn to use these pieces of machinery in order to successfully work in the sand and gravel mining trade. Simply practicing with these pieces of equipment is often enough to get the hang of how they work. But no job site is going to let you work on the equipment until the site supervisor has given you the all-clear, after you have demonstrated that you know how to properly handle the equipment to which you are entrusted.

Things You'll Need

• Operator's manuals

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Instructions

1. Read through the operator's manual for the bulldozer, bucket loader, crane or dump truck that you are required to use. Make certain that you are familiar with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, safety regulations regarding the proper work wear you will need to have in order to safely operate the machinery. In addition to the operator's manual, read any safety literature concerning the equipment supplied by the company.

2. Arrange for a training session on the equipment with an experienced operator. In most cases, operating this machinery is not unlike driving a car, but there are variables that you have to account for when using the equipment. The size of the machines and the clearance you'll have for overhead obstructions is important, as well as the surface you'll be driving on. These variables are best determined in a controlled environment where you are instructed in how to use each of the equipment's features.

3. Attend construction machinery training classes offered by your local community college or the company you work with. Attending these classes after you have begun working with a mentor will provide you with informational knowledge that you can apply to the practical knowledge you have already begun to learn.

4. Practice operating the sand and gravel machinery at your own pace, making certain that you understand every aspect of the machine before you use it. This will allow you to test the limits of the machinery and your ability to use the equipment without damaging it.

Tips & Warnings

• Always wear appropriate safety gear when operating sand and gravel machinery, and make certain that you wear a safety harness at all times.

References

• "Heavy Equipment"; John Tipler; 2000