Fasten Your Seat Belts For Safety. 

It’s easy to forget to fasten your seat belt when driving or operating machinery around a mining operation. And yet, it’s one of the easiest things an equipment operator can do to stay safe.

Wearing a seat belt can protect you against injury in the event of a serious accident. It can also help you maintain control of equipment during extreme or sudden movements.

Seat belt design has been evolving in recent years in terms of operator comfort and responsiveness. For example, some belts will tighten automatically when your equipment gets to a critical tilting point. But you should always check to be certain that your belt is functioning properly.

Here are some important seat belt tips from CORESafety and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA):

1. Always wear your seat belt.
2. Maintain control of all mobile equipment by traveling safe speeds and not overloading equipment.
3. Prevent mishaps when backing up a front end loader by doing this:
   • Load the bucket evenly and avoid overloading.
   • Refer to the load limits in the operating manual.
   • Keep the bucket low when operating on hills.
   • Construct berms or other restraints of adequate height where needed.
   • Warn all operators of hazardous areas.
4. Secure all loose objects inside the cab.

CORESafety and MSHA also recommend these key safety practices:

• Make it mandatory to wear seat belts and maintain zero tolerance for non-use or misuse at your operation.

• During training and orientation programs, always stress the importance of seat belt use.

• Check seat belts regularly to be sure they are functioning properly.

Because there are many accidents that can occur while driving or operating machinery, CORESafety encourages you to review these Modules –

• Module #2 – Responsibility & Accountability
• Module #4 – Fatality Prevention & Risk Mgmt.
• Module #12 – Work Procedures & Permits