Heavy Lift Cranes are a vital part of construction and infrastructure. However, it is important to understand crane operation safety. Read about mobile crane safety.
Heavy lift cranes are an important and everyday part of the construction and infrastructure industry both in South Africa and the rest of the world. These large machines are, of course, very technical to operate, and require a large amount of knowledge to operate them too. Mobile crane safety is of paramount importance and one of the most vital parts of operating heavy lift cranes.
Heavy Lift Crane Safety
Why is heavy lift crane safety essential?
When it comes to heavy lift crane safety, there are a few key elements to keep in mind:
The heavier the load the more complex the crane
These machines come in various parts and the final machine is always built on site. Therefore, extreme care is needed in placing the crane in the right place, and then building it safely so that it is correctly set up to do the lift.
Customer safety must be always monitored
Since the crane is being built on the site of the customer, safety requirements need to be taken into consideration. This might differ from customer to customer and if due diligence is not applied to this aspect of the crane build, contravention of safety regulations (although not intentional) might occur.
Load testing every time is essential
You must load test the crane every time before use to load check. This is a check to ensure the crane functions as planned and it needs to be carried out before every use.
Skilled operators are essential
The big complex machines have many different configurations, or types of set-ups that can be used to do a lift. You can also play around with the safety margin (extra capacity) of the crane. Therefore, you really need to know what you’re doing to operate it.
How to safely operate a heavy lift crane?
Certain critical aspects of crane operation safety or crane safety procedures need to be considered and co-ordinated precisely every time a heavy lift crane is transported, erected and used. These critical points are:
Transport Safety
These are huge (heavy and big) parts moving around, therefore transporting all these parts as safely as possible is an integral part of the heavy lift crane erection process.
Coordination of Movement
If trucks come onto site in the wrong sequence, you will have parts lying around all over the site – this causes tripping hazards, traffic congestion and numerous safety hazards (site control, bumping, blockages, double handling of equipment, etc).
Initial Placement
The initial placement of a heavy lift crane is important; many load studies are done with specific details regarding the height, weight, and radius of the load. If the positioning is wrong, a crane of this size does not move easily and moving it is a very lengthy process. The temptation to take a shortcut will be used if there is time pressure.
Ground Conditions
Due to the weight of the heavy lift machine and the load it will be carrying, you need to make sure that the ground is able to support the load safely without sinking, slipping, sliding, or caving in.
All these critical aspects and steps are taken into account with every project undertaken by Concord Cranes. The specialised teams of transporters, riggers and operators are trained in crane safety features and procedures in much detail. That’s why, we are one of the leading and trusted mobile crane hire companies in South Africa.
To learn more about the capabilities and features of the mobile cranes we hire and the project requirements we can fulfil, contact the Concord Cranes team today on 011 805 8071.
Contact Concord Cranes for all your mobile crane hiring and specialised service needs now.