Many Hands Make Light Work: A Construction Blog

The construction industry is one of the backbones of great economies around the world. The demand for housing, infrastructure and other amenities has driven massive investments in this industry as well as generated jobs in equal measure. One of the greatest beneficiaries are investors in heavy construction equipment used in the industry.  

If you are one of the players in the construction industry and own some equipment, you probably have at one time contemplated replacing your construction equipment seats and looked at things like ISRI parts. This is no small feat considering the decisions you have to make before you do the actual purchase. To guide you through the process, below are some considerations you should bear in mind when choosing replacement seats for your machinery or equipment.

The Suspension Design

There are two types of suspension: mechanical and air suspension. Mechanical suspensions are further divided into narrow suspensions, which are appropriate for machines with limited space; mid-width suspension for machines such as motor graders, forklifts and excavators; and wide suspension for large construction equipment. These are supported by mechanical springs. Air suspensions on the other hand are supported by an air bag instead of mechanical springs. Even though air suspension is a bit costly, it can handle more weight capacity than mechanical suspension.  

Seatbelts and Head Restraints

The risk of machine operators being thrown off their seats when there is an impact is high in the construction industry. Because of this, seats for construction equipment should be equipped with proper belts to cushion the operators. In addition, look for seats that have head restraint features so as to prevent head and neck injuries when the operators surge backwards following an impact and restraint by seatbelts.

The Comfort of the Seats

For a proper job to be done, the construction equipment must be fitted with comfortable seats. These reduce the weariness of the operator, which may directly translate into worker productivity. Therefore, when shopping for these seats, look for products that have high-quality padding, armrests and lumbar support for comfort enhancement. The seats should also be adjustable to allow your operator to alter their seating position where necessary.

In addition, you should factor in the types of seat tops. The high back seat top is high enough to reach the shoulders of most operators. Some of the seats come with a headrest as an additional feature. On the other hand, low back seat tops reach the mid back of the operator, but they can have a backrest extension to support the head and neck.