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At Condor Test Weights, crane safety is our primary concern. While carrying out effective and adequate crane testing helps to ensure that staff are safe at all times, this is just the beginning. Lifting gear must be treated and handled appropriately at all times to avoid accidents.
So we’ve put together our guide for crane operators, to ensure their safety at all times: You should only ever operate a crane if you have had full safety training in all standard procedures, statutory regulations and crane warning signals. You should also be aware of what to do in any emergency and understand all of the procedures. Before you get started make sure you have the following gear on: • Hard Hat • Safety Glasses • Proper Work Clothing • High Visibility Vest • Work Boots Once you are ready, take the following steps before operating your crane: 1. Inspect Your Lifting Equipment Before each use you should carry out a visual inspection of your lifting gear. Check for leaks and areas that are in disrepair or looking worn out. Any issues should be dealt with immediately. 2. Check the Crane’s Movements Ensure that the crane can still move freely and smoothly in all direction. Double check that the breaks are working. And at all times listen out for unusual sounds that might indicate problems. If you notice any problems do not operate the crane until a thorough inspection has been done and any repairs made. 3. Clear the Crane Take the time to make sure all parts of the crane are free of loose materials that could get tangled up in the machinery. 4. Get to Know the Controls Give yourself chance to get to know the controls in your crane. You may have used a thousand different cranes, but there’s nothing to say that this one will work in the same way as the others. It’s extremely important to know how to switch the crane off in an emergency – both for your safety and the safety of your workmates. 5. Make Your Working Area Safe Before you start work you need to make sure to de-energize any overhead power lines and put up barriers around them. Even with these steps in place it will still be dangerous to work close to the lines, so you should identify a safe route under them before getting into your crane. You may also need someone to signal to you if you are unable to see the power lines from inside the crane. A Note on Working Load Limit In the interests of safety you should never attempt to lift a load that is greater than the lifting capacity of your crane. Find out what the Working Load Limit is and don’t attempt to lift more than the Safe Working Load. When you have finished working with your lifting equipment for the day, you still need to consider crane safety. Carry out these 4 steps before going home for the day: 1. Unload any weight that is still on the crane. 2. Raise all hooks to the mid position. 3. Spot your lifting gear at a specified site 4. Make sure all of the controls are switched off. By carrying out these stages you are carrying out proper crane safety procedures and will reduce the risk of accident on site. If you need any more advice on crane safety, just give us a call. |