When you operate skid steer equipment for a living, safety is of the utmost importance. Not only are you at risk of harm during your workday, but so are many of your coworkers and passing pedestrians. As such, it’s vital that you know how to best protect yourself and those around you to get the most out of your day.

Use these operator tips for preventing skid steer injuries to ensure your time on the clock is productive and safe.

Watch for obstacles and pedestrians

One of the first things you can do to reduce your risk of getting into a skid steer accident is to stay alert and aware of your surroundings. Whether you’re working in a warehouse or on a construction site, there are always obstacles and other workers moving about. Staying vigilant will ensure that you can recognize hazards and react to them accordingly. Likewise, you’ll want to signal all your movements with your skid steer so that passersby can do the same.

Keep up with tire maintenance

You can also significantly lower the chances of skid steer injury by staying on top of your equipment’s tire maintenance. Your skid steer’s tires are crucial to ensuring it always has the necessary traction to maneuver and lift loads to capacity. Using old and worn models can reduce the amount of control you have over the machine and put you in danger. As such, you’ll want to inspect them regularly and purchase quality replacement skid steer tires when needed.

Avoid overloading your machine

Another helpful operator tip for preventing skid steer injuries is to stop yourself from taking on more than the machine can handle at one time. All pieces of heavy equipment have a designated weight capacity for what they can carry.

This limit is in place so that you don’t inadvertently put additional wear on your skid steer and reduce its overall lifespan. Overloading your skid steer can also cause it to malfunction with little warning, putting everyone nearby at risk. So make sure you adhere to these guidelines whenever you’re on the job.

Don’t operate when fatigued or impaired

As we mentioned before, being alert is the key to avoiding hazards on your jobsite.

As such, it’s important that you don’t do anything that could jeopardize that mental state. This could be failing to get an adequate night’s sleep or drinking alcohol before your shift. In both cases, you’re not mentally capable of recognizing and responding to dangerous situations. So you should never operate your skid steer under these conditions.