Excavators and loaders are, of course, essential to aggregate operations everywhere.
While vital to production, safety is always a priority for operators when it comes to these machines. Fortunately, manufacturers have taken a variety of steps in recent years to make their equipment inherently safer – not only for those operating from within the cab, but for those working around machines.
The next few years should bring further safety enhancements to excavators and loaders. But the developments made of late have already done wonders to elevate site safety.
“Safety has always been a top priority for Volvo,” says Sejong Ko, product manager for large excavators at Volvo CE. “It’s why we continue to develop new safety innovations and work with partners to drive improvements that reduce the risk of accidents.”
Similarly, Develon prioritizes safety when designing construction equipment. Develon’s Troy Hitchcock and Bill Zak say safety was a key consideration for the company when it developed the -7 Series wheel loaders that debuted in 2023.
“We increased the total glass area in our cabs by 14 percent,” says Hitchcock and Zak. “Develon wheel loaders now come with a full glass door for enhanced visibility on the left side of the machine.”
Another unique safety feature on -7 Series wheel loaders is Develon’s transparent bucket. Hitchcock, who serves Develon as crawler excavator product manager, and Zak, the company’s wheel loader product manager, explain.
“Our exclusive transparent bucket comes standard with new -7 Series wheel loaders, offering an obstructed view in front of the wheel loader bucket,” says Hitchcock and Zak. “The view is visible on a screen mounted in the cab.”
Difference-making features
Also, while seemingly simple by today’s standards, the addition of cameras has taken loader and excavator safety to new heights.
“Develon offers standard rearview cameras for excavators and wheel loaders,” says Hitchcock and Zak. “A sideview camera is standard for select Develon excavators and available as an option for other models. Excavator operators can activate both cameras for a side-by-side view on the LCD screen in the cab.”
Some camera systems can cover even more ground.
“A newer safety feature for excavators and wheel loaders is the around-view monitor (AVM) camera system,” says Hitchcock and Zak. “The system provides up to 270 degrees of visibility for wheel loader operators and up to 360 degrees of visibility for excavator operators. The AVM camera system gives operators greater confidence when operating or positioning the machine in tight work areas.”
The combination of cameras and radar presents new safety opportunities, as well. Ko makes a case in point citing Volvo’s recently redesigned excavator series, which includes several new and enhanced safety features.
“One of the highlights is Volvo smart view with obstacle detection, which gives operators 360-degree visibility of the machine’s surroundings,” Ko says. “While cameras are increasingly being added to heavy equipment, Volvo smart view with obstacle detection combines camera technology and a new radar detection system to distinguish between objects and humans for a heightened level of awareness.”
Volvo is also leveraging radar to make wheel loaders safer.
“Our wheel loaders have an optional collision mitigation system, which uses radar and our patented reverse-by-braking functionality to brake the machine if an obstacle is detected in close proximity behind it,” says Eric Yeoman, product manager of large wheel loaders at Volvo. “The operator still has full responsibility for the machine and should always be aware of their surroundings, of course, but this will help reduce or prevent the impact of a collision depending on machine speed, ground conditions and what the obstacle is.”
Develon has a system that aims for similar safety outputs with its loaders and excavators.
“The latest safety feature available for Develon excavators and wheel loaders is object detection from ultrasonic proximity sensors,” says Hitchcock and Zak.
