What should an engineer do before going beneath equipment to ensure safety?

Before going beneath equipment, applying sufficient hand brakes and pulling the emergency cord or Personal Emergency Hold Unit (PEHU) is critically important for ensuring safety. This action helps prevent accidental movement of the equipment, which could pose a severe risk to an engineer working beneath it. The primary concern is to establish a secure environment where there is no risk of the equipment unintentionally shifting or falling.

This practice falls under standard safety protocols, which mandate that equipment be immobilized before any maintenance or inspection is performed. Implementing hand brakes ensures that the machinery won't move due to gravity or unintended operation, while the emergency cord adds an additional layer of safety by providing a fail-safe option for quickly shutting down the equipment in case of an emergency.

While wearing a helmet and gloves, inspecting the equipment, and checking weather conditions are also important safety measures in different contexts, they do not directly address the immediate risk of working under equipment. These actions contribute to overall safety awareness but should not replace the critical step of ensuring the equipment is safely immobilized before entering a potentially hazardous space.