It isn’t safe to climb on heavy equipment, engineering dept. says

Bevan Harlton, the City of Moose Jaw’s director of operations, said he was disappointed this week over multiple reports of residents climbing onto moving heavy equipment and opening doors to give feedback to operators.

“I was really disappointed to have this brought to light down here at public works, and to have my operators having to deal with this, among many, many things that we’re working through right now with long hours and overnight work” Harlton told Discover Moose Jaw.

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“My understanding of the incidents is pretty simple. As we’re working through our priority routes, for whatever reason people have been approaching our equipment, and my understanding is that includes right up to climbing up ladders and getting into doors and sharing their opinions.”

Harlton said everyone needs to let the operators focus on their work. Complaints should be made through the City of Moose Jaw app, or by calling or emailing public works directly.

The city responded to the reports with a media release on Wednesday urging residents not to approach heavy machinery while in operation, as there are serious risks and safety concerns with doing so, particularly with the long hours operators have been putting in.

“The young men and women that work in our roadways team and the folks here at public works are all people that have made a decision to work for the city and to work on my team,” Harlton added. “They all live in and around the area. They’re your friends and neighbours.

“We have asked them here to put in long hours, for challenging work, with the intersections and the traffic control and keeping themselves safe and completing the work to an appropriate level of service. They have enough on their minds. Please let them work.

“There’s the safety aspects, but there’s also the respect piece of it as well.”