In general, for safety reasons on work sites, excavators should only be
used by fully trained operators, who are familiar with the technical and
safety aspects of this type of machinery.
However,
there are cases, on DIY hires for example, where this is not the case,
and the hints provided on this page may be of use. These should be read
in conjunction with the safety instructions provided by the manufacturer
and/or hirer of the machine and are by no means intended as a full set
of instructions and guidelines.