Equipment Fire Prevention: How Are We Doing?

Logging equipment insurance costs are skyrocketing, largely due to equipment fires, especially during the summer season. Summer provides dry, hot conditions that will increase the possibility of equipment or job site fires. Equipment and job site fires are all too common and can be devastating. At a minimum they create downtime and expensive repairs, and they may result in complete loss of equipment, as well as devastating wildfires. So what can we do to reduce or prevent these huge losses?

The two biggest factors that cause fires on equipment are poor housekeeping and lack of good maintenance. Logging operators have control over both of these factors. We can provide good maintenance and good housekeeping; it’s just a matter of taking the time to do it in a systematic and timely manner. Here are some checklists that can help with the inspection of your equipment to prevent or reduce the likelihood of fires: