Hiring equipment is common practice in the construction industry. Big cranes and excavators can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy, and when they are only going to be used a couple of days a year, it doesn’t make sense to buy these items. Hiring machinery and equipment is a great cost-effective solution, but it comes with the responsibility of making sure that it’s returned in the same state that it was hired in. Therefore, it is important to know how to protect your hire equipment from damage and theft.
Utilise Wet Hire Where Appropriate
When you hire expensive heavy machinery like all terrain cranes, sometimes it pays to expend a little bit of extra money to hire an operator or two from the same company from which you organized the crane hire. This is because these operators likely spend a significant amount of time using the machine in question and are dedicated in protecting its longevity, often because they own it themselves. They also may be able to use the machine far more efficiently than one of your existing employees.
In situations where an inexperienced operator could cause significant damage either to the machine or your worksite from improper use, the associated costs are not worth the savings created by dry hire [link to page 10].
Listen to Your Hire Providers
The people you hire your machinery and equipment from will have strict conditions for the use, storage and overnight protection of their property. Signing a document stating that you agree to those conditions is part of your hire contract, and it is vitally important that you understand those conditions. Those conditions typically include clauses related to how the machinery must be stored when not in use.
Additionally, the machinery may be somewhat unique due to prior damage or misuse which the provider will be aware of, and they may have established workarounds.
Secure Your Site
People have been known to illegally enter and trespass on construction sites to steal equipment and materials. They have also been known to tamper with machines or climb hire cranes that leads to damage of machines and, in some cases, personal harm. While it’s hard to completely exclude these possibilities, there are reasonable ways [link to page 14] to secure your site that are often part of your hiring obligations.
Invest in Insurance
Most hire companies won’t lend expensive equipment to uninsured companies or contractors. While it won’t protect the equipment you hire, it will protect you in the event that the machinery or equipment does get damaged. It will also protect the hire company, as they can be confident that, even in the worst-case scenario, they will not be left out of pocket.
Crane Hire – Gold Coast and Brisbane
Do you need to hire a mobile crane for a domestic or commercial job? Surf City Cranes offer a variety of quality crane trucks for hire on the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Ipswich. Ask our friendly experts about our different cranes and their capabilities and accessories. Call us today on 0421 665 654 or 0402 269 535 or contact us online.
