Safety First: Best Practices for Operating Heavy Equipment on Golf Courses

However, heavy machinery used for landscaping and other tasks can present a safety issue for both players and golf course employees, especially when they’re active during operational hours. Prioritizing golf course maintenance safety is key. Learn the top strategies and practices you can implement to keep your golf course looking beautiful without compromising guest or employee safety.

Tips for Preventing Accidents

There are several steps you can take to lower the risk of heavy equipment-related accidents on your golf course. While some involve awareness and training, others require taking care of the machine itself. Consider the following best practices for heavy equipment on golf courses to prevent incidents from happening in the first place.

1. Regularly Inspect and Clean Machinery

Much like the course they work to maintain, your heavy machines need to be regularly inspected, cleaned and maintained to operate properly. Whether it’s grass clumps impeding a mower’s mechanisms or oil building up in the engine of an aerator, your heavy equipment can be compromised in the course of its work.

Establish a routine inspection and cleaning schedule to keep your machinery performing at its peak. Every machine will require a different approach, so review the owner’s manual and other resources to determine the best schedule for each piece of equipment in your fleet.

Ideally, team members will do a visual inspection before and after using heavy equipment, and clean it before storing it. More extensive inspections and cleaning may be required less frequently.

2. Train Employees to Use Equipment Safely

A vital part of golf course maintenance safety is ensuring your employees know how to properly and safely interact with machinery. That’s where training is vital. This training should involve the knowledge of what the machine does, how it works and how the employee can carry out that function safely.

Implement a thorough training program for all employees, new and experienced, at your golf course. If possible, allow new employees to shadow and work alongside experienced ones so they can learn by example. Keep training top of mind by requiring even seasoned team members to take part in ongoing training.

3. Schedule Equipment Maintenance

As with inspections and cleaning, your heavy machines need regular maintenance to keep operating safely. Most heavy equipment comes with manuals for maintenance, whether that maintenance comes in the form of regular oil changes in your mower or repairing damaged fittings in your power rake.

Sticking to the recommended schedule for each piece of equipment can make the machine more effective and even help it last longer. Train employees on how to conduct maintenance safely and properly, or outsource your maintenance tasks to ensure they’re completed professionally.

4. Invest in Safety Gear

The right personal protective equipment (PPE) or golf course safety equipment for your employees involves more than just boots and gloves. While this gear is necessary and useful, some activities require more protection. When fertilizing the grounds, for example, a team member should wear a long-sleeved shirt, pants and gloves, as well as a respirator and eye protection.

Make sure your crew always has access to the appropriate PPE for any job they need to tackle on the golf course. Replace PPE as needed so your team can rely on it to provide an adequate level of protection.

Guidelines for Operating Equipment During Active Hours

The pieces of equipment on your course serve many functions and have different safety requirements. However, regardless of the situation, you can apply certain techniques to decrease the risk of accidents and protect golfers, employees and the landscaping itself. Follow the heavy equipment safety tips below to ensure everyone in the vicinity is safe and comfortable.

1. Keep a Safe Distance From Players

Ideally, intensive golf course maintenance should happen when the property is closed to visitors. If it becomes necessary to mow the course or otherwise care for it when golfers are using it, employees should keep their distance. The sound or sight of maintenance can be distracting, but it can also pose a safety hazard should equipment come too close to a player. Do what you can to conduct maintenance away from active players, especially when it involves loud machinery or chemical agents.

2. Practice Awareness

Whether operating full-sized utility vehicles or smaller machines like sod cutters, operators should always be constantly aware of their surroundings. Train team members to actively look around them when operating heavy machinery. If changing directions, they should make sure the area around them is clear of people and obstacles. In situations where you’re completing maintenance, construction or other tasks during operational hours, put up signage to alert players of areas they need to be cautious of or avoid.

3. Track Golf Cart Use

Any kind of vehicle in use on the golf course can pose a safety hazard, even golf carts. It’s vital to know who’s using golf carts around the course and when. Creating a sign-out system and safety guidelines for golf cart use can help cut down on injuries for both employees and golfers. Enforce your state’s age guidelines so that only people old enough can rent and operate golf carts on the course.

This process also helps you understand how much each golf cart is being used, allowing you to maintain, clean and repair them accordingly. As a result, you can keep your course’s golf carts in the best condition possible, improving safety and enjoyment at the same time.

Invest in State-of-the-Art Heavy Equipment From GT Mid Atlantic

The safe operation of golf course machinery comes down to training employees and maintaining equipment. It’s also important to ensure the machines you’re working with are high-quality, durable and ready to perform. Investing in the right heavy machinery from the start can go a long way to promote golf course safety.

At GT Mid Atlantic, we carry and service the best brands in the business, including Takeuchi, Terramac and CASE Construction. Whether you’re looking to rent or buy, our golf course equipment is sure to take your greens to the next level. We also offer comprehensive heavy equipment service and an extensive selection of parts. We’ve worked in the industry for decades, serving Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Washington D.C., Northern Virginia and the Philadelphia area.

Ready to get started? Reach out through our contact form or call us at (410) 247-7454 to learn more.