Despite the incorporation of crane safety systems and technology to prevent crane-related hazards, a safe construction site primarily depends on secured crane operation. Collision, boom collapse, crane rotation, power line contact, and boom failure are common crane accidents that lead to fatal injuries and even deaths.
The ultimate goal of taking the necessary crane safety precautions is the preservation of human life. It’s because regardless of its size, any crane can cause a deadly accident. From the lack of rated capacity indicator usage to an unstable machine, various accidents can potentially kill operators and construction site workers.
Here are some safety tips to follow when using a crane in hazardous locations.
Pre-Operating Measures
It’s critical to perform a thorough crane inspection before operating it and moving a load. Some crucial parts to check are its rope drums, ropes, hooks slings, sheaves, and other guards that could be damaged. Make sure not to forget the crane’s gears, brakes, wheels, and rails.
If you’re in a hazardous gas location, ensure that no lights are damaged or burnt out. Keep the fire extinguisher within your sight, and ensure that there are no workers near the crane. Moreover, it’s essential to conduct a risk assessment to determine whether any overhead power lines could obstruct the crane operation.
According to the OSHA guidelines, crane operators should keep a minimum distance of 45 feet from the lines of 750 to 1000 volts.
Consistent Mid-Operation Inspections
Inspections should continue even during the crane operation. It’s because the crane’s wire rope should remain smooth from the drum to allow the sheaves to turn smoothly as soon as the rope passes through it into the sheave. Any jerky movements or strange noises like scraping or clattering noises are distressing sounds, which mean you must abort the operation instantly. An ideal way to prevent mid-operation incidents is to test the limit switch on the crane to ensure its functionality.
Apart from the crane’s functionality, it’s also crucial to check the load you’re lifting. It should be free of loose materials and equipment. There must be no slacks in hoisting ropes, and the lifting device is correctly attached in the hook saddle.
Usage of Crane Safety Systems
All trained and licensed crane operators must employ crane safety equipment, such as crane LMI systems and crane overload systems for efficient load testing. It’s a mandatory step for conducting all crane operations.
Both the OSHA Regulations and the Health and Safety Act require users to conduct load tests for the frequent inspection of lifting equipment.
Crane LMI systems are excellent tools for checking a crane’s functional errors that occur unpredictably, reducing its frequency and causing severe incidents with overhead hoists and cranes.
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