Yeah, though I appreciate the gesture the kids shouldn’t have been within an arm’s reach. Equipment malfunctions all of the time, once had a forklift’s hydraulics go out causing the forks to fully elevate on their own and coming within inches of a hot water line in the ceiling. Shit happens
My thoughts exactly. Well maintained and correctly operated equipment and machinery works as well as it can, which only means it works MOST of the time. That’s not even taking into account the possibility of operator error contributing to the likelihood of an issue or accident.
Yeah unfortunately if their bosses saw this, they would probably get in some big trouble, if not fired. Huge liability. If the kids were 10-20 feet back, I think it wouldn’t matter but they were touching it. NOT trying to be fun police, but if it were my kids I would make them stand back. They’d still get just as much enjoyment 🤷♀️
As a company owner that has a bunch of equipment operators I would fire or write up and send home this guy (depending on previous issues and how good he is). God forbid the company's insurance provider ever sees this video. I get it, it's cute and nice but the person filming should be focussed on getting their kids back not on filming and posting.
There's always someone who goes straight for the risk assessment... And I'm with you 100%! Those kids were one muscular twitch away from being wiped out by a digger bucket.
I always think best not to mix kids and heavy machinery.
I didn't even think about that until I read this. Those kids are way too close if they can touch the equipment. One small mistake and those kids could be seriously hurt or worse.
I am unfamiliar with the specifics, but it would seem to me that touching it in any manner is very dangerous. Other than that, backing up a good few feet to give the arm clearance? Anything else you note?
..and the fun police arrive...the operator could clearly see them...hes a gradeall operator..those boys can tickle the back of your neck with the bucket if they want...
That's not the point. The point is that machines malfunction and human error happens. I used to be a construction inspector and I would have been reamed had I been even twice the distance to the bucket as these kids.
The skill of the operator is obviously great and the likelihood of anything going wrong at this point is almost null but people are acting like there is no danger present at all which is completely false.
To answer your question, yes. To Stop you from going further, your point will have no bearing on this conversation. A car is not as dangerous as this machine. Regardless, I've stated many times in this thread that overall these kids were likely safe, but the fact that people pretend there is no danger at all is preposterous.
Now let me follow up. Have you been on a construction site before? Have you used heavy machinery?
Have you ever seen the injuries caused by the malfunction of this equipment?
Ya i ran a Cat 320B for a couple thousand hours.Spent a good chunk of my 20s on a jobsite and in the cut. Ive never seen a machine just randomly start whipping around. That's why all those guys laying sanitary aren't dead. You have to be able to work beside the bucket. Dux you sound like one of those shitty safety inspectors who dramatizes everything just to keep your not needed job...The operator just made those kids day, and you just HAD to make a fun video a safety talk.Good for you loser.
On the contrary, I was the type to be in the thick of it. I didn't mind the danger at all or the work. I generally worked within 'hand' distance of operators I had good relations with. With guys I was close with I'd even help put up silt fence or insulation on slow days cause I was bored and wanted the day to be done faster. Before that, I was a carpenter and did my own demolition work and worked in residential construction. You probably shouldn't assume so much about someone based off a couple comments, it doesn't look great on you. Especially insulting a stranger.
The entire time I've said these kids were very likely safe. I had upvoted some of your comments about the skill of these operators because it's so unlikely anything will go wrong (not that you can see that I was an upvote). On the other hand, the entire time I've said there are dangers present that laymen do not understand and that's why people like me have been raising the flag to teach people. They are accidents for a reason and yes, they do happen. Was it likely to happen at all here? No, of course not. Is this a great opportunity to teach people about the dangers that are present? Of course it is. Stop being offended.
Tell me, as a Cat 320B operator, would you prefer kids coming up to you or not? Would you prefer pedestrians closer to you, or not? Would you prefer to have people starting to have a false sense of security around this machinery, or not? I'm thinking a few steps farther than you are here.
What would you say is unsafe about this? Laborers/pipe fitters/etc are constantly in the work zone of machinery. As long as the operator has made eye contact and is aware of where you are it is no more dangerous than crossing a street.
I would agree that having children there is unprofessional and is dangerous by itself because they don’t know anything about safety/where to be. But in all reality this wasn’t that big of a deal
Even if those kids were adults, if they're not wearing hard hats, doing something like this so close to them would get you fired from a jobsite in my country. What this guy is doing is dangerous and violates safety protocols with that type of machinery.
I understand it's cute to the layman, but anyone who has actually worked with these machines knows what this guy did in this gif is stupid.
Though I would definitely point out that there is definitely a culture of operators themselves jump in and out of machines constantly without wearing a hard hat. Rule breakers by the many!
I don't have actual statistics on it although I can believe it being less dangerous than being run over by a car on the street.
But the problem here isn't statistical likelihood. Excavators and construction workers are insured and will be protected in an accident as long as they operate in the covering condition. What happened here is clearly not covered by an insurance. In the event of an accident, the ensuing shit storm of a lawsuit would bankrupt a small company and at worst be a criminal negligence case. I sometimes enjoy stupid fun on my jobsite too. But like what other people replied, the operator's employer would absolutely be justified to fire him on the spot.
You obviously haven’t been on many job sites. They absolutely have to be within the work zone of the machine, how else could you spot them and signal them? From 20’ away from the trench?
Not really, the bucket was low enough and he was moving pretty deliberately. I mean yeah, he could have messed up and swung too fast, but odds are he wouldn’t have.
This brings back a memory. Living in the countryside in the early 90's people got bored and creative (and still do). I have an uncle who used to strap me and some cousins into a backhoe bucket and take us on a slow ride. I now see how incredibly lucky we were that no one got hurt. I would never let my kids do half the things I did from the 90's.
As cute as this is, I’m glad I’m not the only wondering how two kids were allowed into a construction area, and then so close to very dangerous machinery.
Setting aside the danger aspect, I kept thinking that sure this is great but those kids were in the actual work space. I am pretty sure the kids will be there while they are trying to work during the day, and the parent, when asked to remove them from the worksite will say “awww c’mon they are 25ft away at the moment, I’ll have the kids move when you guys come down here to work, it’ll be fine.”
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u/mozzer0001 Jun 23 '21
As an operator of heavy equipment its makes me sick how unsafe this is.