Preventing tragedy - Safe storage of excavator buckets

An incident in Queensland has highlighted the critical need for greater awareness around the safe storage of excavator buckets.

Excavator buckets can have a unique shape and centre of gravity which needs to be considered when placing and storing them. Additionally, a bucket’s tendency to roll forward or backwards, or to slide, can vary depending on how it is positioned on a gradient. For example, the rear side of a bucket attachment is typically curved which may increase the likelihood of them rolling backwards, particularly if the curved side is facing downhill on a gradient (refer Figure 1).

Additional factors may include:

• Soft or loose ground that can creep or slip under the weight of the bucket and initiate movement, which may strike nearby workers.
• Loose or unstable ground uphill from the bucket that can move down and strike the bucket.
• Vibration of machinery operating nearby increasing the likelihood of ground creep/slip.
• Being knocked or bumped by other plant operating nearby, or when trying to re-attach a bucket.
• Wet, slippery ground is more likely to cause a bucket to slide or become unstable.
• Rainwater may accumulate in a bucket causing it to be less stable.
• Material stuck to the inside or outside of a bucket could also make a bucket less stable.

Some principles to follow when removing and storing excavator buckets:

• If the bucket manufacturer has instructions on how to store a bucket follow these, including any chocks, blocks, stillages or racks available for use.
• Avoid storing buckets on a steep gradient or near excavations or trenches.
• Wherever practicable, store buckets on flat level ground and not on a spoil pile or gradient.
• If the ground at the intended storage location is sloping or uneven, create a flat stable surface or ground depression to accommodate the bucket (refer Figure 2).
• If no safer options are available and the bucket must be stored on a gradient, the gradient should be risk assessed to ensure the bucket cannot slide or roll away. The risk assessment should consider factors such as but not limited to: type of surface/terrain, size of bucket, orientation of the bucket, future weather forecasts.
• Consider whether the bucket might be more stable in different orientations, such as being stored upside down, on its side, or upright with the bucket teeth facing the downhill side of the gradient. When stored upside down, water is less likely to accumulate within the bucket which will make the bucket more stable.
• Consider having an exclusion zone or designated storage area with clear delineation to keep unauthorised persons and bystanders away from the area.
• When attaching buckets to mobile plant make sure people are effectively excluded.
• When transporting buckets on vehicles, even for sort distances, ensure the bucket is firmly strapped down and secured against movement.

Figure 1: Buckets with the curved side placed downhill are more likely to roll or slide

Figure 2: Where possible, use the bucket to create a flat surface or depression to restrict the movement of the bucket

Further information

Read the Load Restraint Guide 2018