Toronto — A new video from the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association highlights how employers and machine operators can ensure safe operations when using quick couplers.
Quick couplers connect attachments to heavy machinery. When not properly installed or maintained, they can cause serious incidents, IHSA cautions.
When buckets, ripping teeth, hammers or other tools are attached with quick couplers instead of traditional pins and are incorrectly installed or not maintained, they “may release unexpected landfall,” Brian Barron, senior manager of the Construction Health and Safety Program at the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, says in the short video.
“This can cause near misses, incidents, injuries and fatalities,” Barron says. “This unexpected release normally happens because the quick coupler is not properly engaged and locked.”
IHSA recommends:
- Employers ensure operators comply with operating manuals for equipment they use, including the quick coupler attachment.
- Operators read and follow manufacturers’ instructions for inspection, maintenance and operation.
- Verifying that operators have been properly trained and are competent to use the specific equipment.
- Ensuring workers know no part of the equipment can be changed or altered without consultation and instruction from the manufacturer.
- Removing equipment from service if it requires any repair that may pose a hazard.
When using any type of quick coupler, warm up and test the equipment to make sure it’s working properly before operation, IHSA says. Always ensure it’s locked and secured before use.
“Some quick couplers are provided with locking pins, while others lock automatically and have an indicator in the cab,” Barron says. “After it’s locked, most manufacturers require the operator to perform a ground or bump test. This is done by placing the attachment on the ground and then applying a pressure to the attachment to ensure it’s secure.”
Tests should be performed every time the attachment is changed.
Other safety tips for workers:
- Stay out of the intended path of travel.
- Always make eye contact with the operator before changing position or approaching the cab.
- Never allow equipment operators to pass loads or equipment over workers’ heads.
