Construction Crane Operation Safety
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines the term “crane” as construction machinery used to hoist, lower, and move a load.
Cranes have various types and lifting capacities . Some common construction crane types include tower cranes, mobile cranes, crawler cranes, and all-terrain cranes. Lifting capacity is typically measured in tons. For instance, tower cranes often have a 10-ton lifting capacity.
In today’s manufacturing and construction industries, cranes have become one of the most essential machinery. You can almost always spot at least one crane on a construction site. However, the use of cranes also comes with potential safety risks that can lead to injuries, fatalities and costly damage, such as crane collapse, falling load, and many more.
The good news is that these risks can be prevented as long as there are proper crane safety procedures, including a correct crane assembly, trained crane operators, secure loads, and safe lifting practices.
5 Important Things to Note for Construction Crane Safety
To ensure construction safety, here are the top 5 must-check points before starting operations:
- Qualified Crane Operator & Personnel : Crane operators must be familiar with the crane model, its characteristics, lifting capacity, and limitations. Operators are responsible for safety as soon as they begin operating and lifting a load. Besides crane operators, all on-site personnel also need to be properly trained and experienced in carrying out their given tasks.
- Clear Communication : Communication between crane operators and on-ground personnel is important especially during lifting. Some ways to communicate include hand and body signals, horns (usually for emergency or alerting situations), or radio communication. Radio communication is the most commonly used in construction sites.
- Load Lifting & Swing Radius : Every crane has a swing radius, the distance within which the boom and counterweight travel. When the radius is identified and close off an area equal to this to create a control zone, so no unauthorized people are put in danger. Also, circumstances are different every time a load is lifted. Always review weight load capacities, crane equipment capabilities, and the environment before lifting. Other factors such as wind speed and direction also have a direct impact in lifting safety and load direction. Crane operators can get real time wind speed data by using anemometers (wind speed meters). WR3-Plus Wireless Anemometer is one of the best and most cost-effective wind speed measuring tools that crane operators love! It is suitable for all crane types.
- Weather : Weather also plays a role in determining whether it is safe to operate a crane. Extreme hot, cold, or rainy weather may pose certain safety risks. Therefore, before operating the crane, personnel must assess the weather condition and make sure it is safe enough to proceed .
In conclusion, safety always comes first, especially when operating cranes in construction sites and any other job sites. Here is a crane safety checklist that you can use to make sure all safety standards are met before crane operation.
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