Why Cleaning Construction Equipment Matters
You expose your construction equipment to the harshest environments. It accumulates layers of dirt and debris each day. The nature of your work means you can’t always keep your machines looking new, but you can keep them clean.
Regularly washing your equipment helps extend the performance and lifespan of your machines and promotes job site safety. Clean machines are also less likely to experience operational failures or accidents caused by obstructed vision or compromised functionality. In addition, keeping your construction equipment clean contributes to your company’s image and reputation.
Here are six benefits of keeping up the appearance of your construction equipment.
1. More Efficient Machine Performance
Construction equipment is often exposed to harsh environmental conditions, including dirt, fine dust, sand and grime as well as corrosive substances. Regular cleaning as directed by the operator’s manual will provide several benefits. Corrosion, rust and clogged filters can be avoided by maintaining a clean exterior and interior of your equipment.
Make time at the end of each workday to clean out debris that can contribute to buildup. Removing materials promptly helps prevent damage to components and premature wear.
2. Increased Job Site Safety
Clean construction equipment is essential to ensure the safety of you, your operators and others on the construction site.
For example, regularly cleaning equipment surfaces: steps, grab bars and handrails enhances safety by ensuring a solid grip and footing when using three points of contact to enter and exit the cab. Don’t forget to wash equipment lights to help increase visibility. DEVELON offers additional lighting kits and rotating beacons for enhanced visibility.
Advanced features work better on cleaned construction equipment, playing an important role in enhancing job site safety. Object detection on DEVELON wheel loaders significantly improves awareness of your work area, especially in machine blind spots. Equipped with sensors, this system emits a sound when the equipment is in danger of colliding with an object. The intensity or frequency of the sound may increase as the machine gets closer to the obstacle.
These sensors are often complemented with a standard rearview camera that allows you to see what’s behind you as you’re reversing. Its purpose is to promote safe maneuvering around objects or other people within your line of sight. By pressing a button, you can activate the camera view, which is displayed on the LCD monitor in the cab.
Pro tip: Don’t overlook the importance of wearing proper clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE). It can significantly help enhance safety protocols. Hard hats, safety glasses, high-visibility vests, gloves and steel-toed boots all help protect against potential risks and injuries.
3. Enhanced Company Image and Reputation
Cleanliness speaks volumes about your construction company’s professionalism and attention to detail. A fleet of clean, well-maintained construction equipment sends a powerful message that your company values quality, safety and reliability. It can set your company apart from competitors.
Pro tip: Take the time to make simple repairs to panels (or replace them if needed) as well as repairing scratches or dents on your machines. It can go a long way toward impressing your customers.
4. Better Maintenance and Inspection
Regular cleaning allows for easier maintenance and inspection of your equipment. Every machine you own should have a maintenance schedule, which you can find in the operation and maintenance manual. Following this schedule is a great way to get the performance you expect from your machines as they age.
If you don’t have the manual, ask your dealer for a copy of the maintenance schedule. Your dealer can also help with maintenance and is a good resource for DEVELON genuine parts and service.
DEVELON Fleet Management is offered as a standard feature on most equipment, making it easy for you and your dealer to remotely monitor and maintain your machines. You can see the health, location and productivity of your machine — all from a user-friendly mobile app and website. The telematics system also shows equipment status and can send notifications when it’s time for service to minimize machine downtime.
Pro tip: DEVELON offers a subscription-based monitoring service, called Smart X-Care™ machine monitoring, where a team of DEVELON employees at a centralized location track your equipment: watching for critical machine fault codes, upcoming and overdue service and warranty expirations.
5. Better Resale Value
Following a cleaning routine can boost your equipment’s resale value, making it more appealing to potential buyers. A clean machine signals that it has been well maintained and serviced regularly throughout its lifespan, which can make it stand out on the market. Buyers may be willing to pay a premium for a machine that appears to offer more value compared to similar options.
Clean equipment tends to attract more attention and interest from potential buyers, leading to quicker sales. A faster sale can lead to a better resale value as it prevents the equipment from sitting idle and potentially depreciating.
Keeping equipment clean often goes hand in hand with proper record-keeping and maintenance documentation. Having a history of regular cleaning and maintenance can provide buyers with tangible evidence of responsible ownership, leading to increased trust and potentially a higher resale value.
6. Success With Compliance Standards
Some industries regulate equipment cleanliness to meet compliance standards set by such regulatory agencies as the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). These agencies require businesses operating machinery in specific industries to maintain clean equipment, free from excessive dirt, dust, debris, oil and grease. This requirement aims to create safer working conditions for employees and operators.
Failure to comply with these appearance guidelines and safety regulations can lead to penalties, legal consequences and potential project delays. Regular cleaning helps ensure that your equipment remains compliant with these regulations.
At the end of the day, appearances do matter when it comes to owning and operating construction equipment. By recognizing its importance, you can improve your operations, enhance your efficiency and be more successful on your next job site.
Want more construction equipment tips? Read other informative articles on the Cutting Edge blog.
