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Writer's pictureCarmen Zajicek

7 Crane Danger Signs That Call for Immediate Intervention


Do you work around cranes?


If yes, then it’s very important that you’re able to spot improper operations and alert others about them to keep the job site safety intact.


Below we take a look at seven crane danger signs that you should never ignore when working around cranes.


1) Raised off tires, crawler tracks or outriggers

This indicates that the crane is being operated in an overload mode, and it may collapse or turn over if the work isn’t immediately stopped.


2) A crane operating near an excavation

Excavations can be highly unstable. As such, operating a crane near an excavation is always risky and should be avoided. In cases, where it is unavoidable, a warning system such as tape, barricades, or stop logs shall be used to give the operator a clear view of the excavation edge.


3) A crane operating too close to power lines

OSHA recommends that crane operators should maintain a minimum distance of 10 feet when operating near power lines. And so, if you see that the distance between the crane and the power lines is less than 10 feet, you should immediately intervene and instruct the operator to move away.


4) An employee riding the load

Riding the load is a serious violation of state and federal laws. Never allow a worker to ride the load in any way, for any reason.    


5) Damaged rigging hardware

The rigging hardware is what bears the entire weight of the load. If it’s even slightly damaged, the lift can be compromised, and the load can shift or fall.


6) An out-of-level crane

This is an extremely dangerous situation and could mean a crane collapse is imminent. Make sure that no workers are in the lift zone.


7) A non-vertical hoist line

A crane is designed to lift loads straight up or along a vertical plane. If the portion of the crane’s hoist line is acting horizontally, it can generate a side force on the boom, which can cause the crane to collapse or tip over.

That brings us to the end of our post; we hope you found the read informative and helpful.


Crane Warning Systems Atlanta is your one-stop shop for crane safety systems, instrumentation products. We specialize in rated capacity indicators, load moment indicators, crane wind speed indicators and anti-two block warning indicators. Visit our online store to learn more about our product range.  

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