When it comes to excavation services, hydro excavation technology (or “hydrovac”) is an effective and efficient alternative to older manual digging methods. But while hydro excavation is safer than traditional excavation methods, it is not completely free of hazards.
Like any heavy equipment, hydrovac machines pose several risks, such as:
- Line contact
- Suction accidents
- Collisions
- And many more
Knowing the ins and outs of hydrovac safety will help you keep a safe and accident-free worksite. You and your crew should be aware of the major hydrovac excavation safety hazards that will be present on any job site. When organizing your daily toolbox talks and safety briefings, it’s a good idea to focus on both hydrovac hazards and the best hydrovac safety procedures.
This guide is a great place to start when preparing your crew for future hydro excavation projects so you and your workers can get the job done safely.
Types of Hydrovac Safety Hazards
The first step in being safe around hydro excavation equipment is understanding the most common hydrovac hazards.
Many avoidable hydrovac accidents occur because the operator or crew chief forgot to inform ground workers of potential hazards near the hydrovac equipment. In these cases, ignorance is most certainly not bliss. At best, this can cause significant damage to property or groundlines that your company will be responsible for. At worst, it will cause injury, disability, or even death.
During your daily safety briefings, it’s a good idea to make sure everyone on your team knows how hydrovac accidents occur, and how to prevent them.
1. Parking Too Close to Excavation Sites
As you've probably noticed, Hydrovac trucks are massive pieces of equipment. Anyone who works with these trucks daily probably has enough respect for their weight, but occasionally familiarity can breed complacency — especially when you're doing something as rudimentary as parking.
Heavy trucks obviously need stable ground to park on. But this can be a problem when you realize that the purpose of these trucks is to loosen and excavate ground soil and debris using high-pressure water — the same ground that makes it safe to park your hydrovac truck.
Many hydrovac accidents occur because the crew parks the truck too close to the excavation site. Without enough distance between the truck and the excavation, the loosening and removal of soil eventually erodes the foundation the truck is parked on.
This can cause a sudden collapse as the excavated ground can no longer support the truck’s weight. Keeping enough distance between the truck and the excavation site can go a long way in preventing these kinds of accidents.
Pro Tip: Different hydrovac trucks have different sizes and weights, so there's no "one-size-fits-all" approach for parking at a safe distance. Before excavating, always check your truck's weight requirements and how far away you can park it from your excavation site.
2. Using Poorly Maintained or Broken Equipment
Far too many accidents occur because operators fail to properly maintain their hydrovac equipment. When you're running from job to job and your equipment is constantly covered in mud, it's easy to miss signs that something could be wrong with your truck.
But when your equipment is under such extreme pressure, even a tiny malfunction can cause dangerous ruptures or bursts that can easily injure workers nearby.
Pro Tip: Different trucks have different maintenance requirements, but all require routine upkeep of some sort. RapidWorks connects to your telematics system and shows dispatchers when trucks are due for preventative maintenance so they can be taken off the schedule before they get to the job. This way, you can always be sure your hydrovac equipment is up to the task before you start excavating.
3. Not Having a Spotter
Spotters on the ground are extremely helpful in letting operators know that they're about to hit a power line or other hazard in their blind spot. Clear communication between hydrovac operators and spotters helps prevent this kind of accident.
Unfortunately, even the most diligent crew chief can get overworked and overlook something minor like having a designated spotter. In most cases, experienced operators can manage the job without one. But all it takes is one busy day without a spotter for disaster to strike. Overworked operators working without enough outside eyes can end up striking power lines, other vehicles, or even ground-level workers.
Pro Tip: Having a designated spotter on your crew for all hydro excavation can help prevent dangerous collisions, line strikes, and other accidents. Both the spotter and the hydrovac operator should be aware of all hazards in the general area and have a clear means of communication to relay important information. If your hydrovac operator loses sight of the spotter, they should shut the equipment down immediately.
4. Overworking Equipment
Good hydrovac equipment will be sturdy and reliable over many jobs. But like all heavy equipment (and workers), even the best hydrovac machines need a break now and then. With so much pressure and force involved in the hydro excavation process, an overworked hydrovac machine can quickly become a dangerous one.
Pro Tip: One common example of overworking hydrovac equipment to look out for is the overloading of debris tanks. Crews in a hurry to get the job done may try to fill a hydrovac debris tank as full as possible. However, this can quickly put the machine over its maximum weight, posing a danger to other workers, vehicles, and anyone on it.
5. Suction Hazards
The suction power used in vacuum excavation is more than powerful enough to cause injury or death for any worker who gets a hand, foot, or even clothing caught inside. Most workers know that they should never get too close to the vacuum extractor during excavation, but other suction hazards may not be as obvious.
Many times, hydrovac excavation sites get deeper than operators and ground workers can see. Without clear visuals in the deep hole, workers may accidentally move a foot too close to the machine.
If this happens during the vacuuming process, the resulting suction can easily cause catastrophic injuries to the worker.
Pro Tip: Proper shoring or trench boxes are great tools for avoiding suction-related injuries when excavating deeper holes. If your crew can't see into the pit they're excavating, shoring or trench boxes can stop them from unwittingly putting their foot near a danger zone.
6. Insufficient Winterization
During the cold winter months, proper winterization procedures will reduce the likelihood of damage or accidents.
After all, water is a key component of the hydrovac process. If the water in a hydro excavator freezes, the resulting ice buildup can damage the equipment and potentially cause severe injuries.
Pro Tip: A little extra time and effort spent adding antifreeze, and other winterization tools can go a long way in preventing accidents and unwanted damage. Automated maintenance trackers can help you remember when it's time to winterize.
7. Line Strikes
Even though hydro excavation is safer around power lines than traditional excavation methods, line strikes are still a potential hazard. Damaged power lines can cause burns, fires, or other electrical hazards for your crew.
Pro Tip: Like with any kind of excavation, hydrovac operators should always identify both aboveground and underground power lines before excavation to avoid potentially fatal line strikes.
8. Falling
A common (and avoidable) cause of accidents involving hydrovac machines has nothing to do with high-pressure water or heavy debris loads at all. Falls from heavy equipment account for a surprising number of workplace injuries and deaths. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that in 2022 alone, a whopping 38.4% of construction worker deaths involved falls or slips from equipment. Hydrovac excavators are more than big enough to cause serious injury or even death if you fall off one.
Pro Tip: There’s not exactly a “safe” place to hang on to the side of a hydrovac machine. During operations, the bumps and shakes are more than enough to buck an unfortunate worker off. Encourage workers to resist the urge to climb onto a hydrovac machine while it's still in operation.
Hydrovac Safety Procedures
Most of the common safety hazards associated with hydro excavation stem from crews trying to work too quickly or taking a shortcut by bypassing important safety protocols. The good news here is that this is a pretty easy problem to solve.
If you and your team are working with hydro excavation, a toolbox talk focused on the best hydro excavation safety procedures can significantly reduce your chances of experiencing a tragic accident on-site.
The safest crews are the ones where everyone on-site understands hydrovac hazards and hydrovac safety protocols, whether they’re working on the excavator or not. This way, everyone is well-prepared to handle common safety hazards and respond quickly in the event of an accident.
Here are some of the most useful hydrovac best practices that would make great additions to your next safety briefing:
- Always follow equipment safety manuals.
- Maintain a safe distance from the hydrovac when in use.
- Never use a hydrovac for any purpose other than what it was designed for.
- Always choke hydrovac wheels before operating the equipment.
- Never leave the hydrovac unattended while it is in operation.
- Keep hands away from moving parts.
- Keep the suction lines away from your body.
- Shut the hydrovac down before making any adjustments.
- Do not exceed a hydro vac's recommended rpm.
- Don’t send hydrovac operators out into the field alone.
- Pay attention to soil specification requirements
- Pay attention to underground utilities.
- Maintain a safe distance from the excavation hole.
- Properly mark your entire excavation site.
- Wear the correct personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Secure all equipment.
- Ground all equipment before excavation.
- Dispose of all materials properly.
- Make sure all operators have proper certifications.
- Have a detailed safety plan in case of an accident or emergency.
Hydro excavation safety best practices rely heavily on efficiency and clear communication. RapidWorks gives heavy equipment crews an easy way to log and submit vehicle inspections and job site safety reports right from their truck with the Rapid On-The-Go! mobile app — your one-stop-shop for electronic ticketing, time clocking, routing, and more. Schedule a demo today to see how RapidWorks helps hydrovac teams work faster and get more done every day.
