3 Reasons You Need Training to Operate Heavy Machinery

Why do you need training to operate heavy machinery? There are many good reasons. Letting untrained people operate powerful construction equipment might sound convenient, but in the real world, it would be a terrible idea.
In this post, we’ll review the three main reasons why you need training to operate heavy machinery:

• Safety
• Efficiency
• Legality

Let’s take a look at the world of heavy machinery operation together.

Why Do I Need Training to Operate Heavy Machinery?

1. To Operate Heavy Machinery Safely

It may not surprise you to learn that heavy machinery is large and, well, heavy. Backhoes, steamrollers, cranes, excavators—the list goes on, and it feels like each item on the list is bigger and more powerful than the last. That’s a lot of power to put in the hands of someone who may not know what they’re doing.
A heavy machinery operator who doesn’t understand the basics of operation, jobsite and machine safety, or best practices quickly becomes a danger to themselves and to everyone else on the jobsite. Incorrect operation of heavy machinery could lead to injury or even death. For that reason, the number one reason to get training to operate heavy machinery is to protect yourself and others.

2. To Operate Heavy Machinery Efficiently

What if you know how to safely operate heavy machinery without any formal training? Setting aside the unlikeliness of that scenario, knowing the basics of how to operate heavy machinery at a baseline of safety doesn’t mean that you know how to operate the heavy machinery well. Construction sites are work sites, and that means you have dozens of workers all on the clock trying to do their tasks so that the next team can start on theirs.
Hands-on heavy equipment operator training can teach you not just which levers to pull and push but how to work on a jobsite and be part of a smooth operation to get the job done in a timely and efficient way. Without this training, you might be able to do the task, but you’d likely take more time than a trained operator, backing up the project and causing costly delays.
If you want to get hired, you should be able to point to your heavy equipment operator credentials and training as proof that you can do the work.

3. To Operate Heavy Machinery Legally

The final reason you should get heavy equipment operator training is because it’s actually the law. In most states, you must have credentials and some level of training before you’re allowed behind the controls of any piece of heavy equipment. For this reason, construction companies usually won’t take a chance at hiring someone who doesn’t have training because they could be legally liable.
Ready to get started? Contact us at West Coast Training heavy equipment operator school to sign up for training today.