A team member causes most crane accidents by performing an unsafe action or failing to perform the required safe actions. Understanding how to reduce the risk of these accidents will help keep employees and other contractors onsite safe. Always test a hoist brake before making a full load lift and periodically compare measured radii and weights with crane limits charts to ensure accuracy.
Why is Meeting Crane Operation Safety Standards So Important?
Cranes are incredibly powerful pieces of equipment and have the potential to cause actual damage when misused in any way. That’s why it’s so important for employees who work with cranes to understand their role and follow proper safety procedures. Having a supervisor on site to monitor the operation of the crane, identify any hazards, and quickly address them can help prevent accidents from occurring.
For example, if a crane is traveling in the vicinity of an electrical line, it needs to be clearly outlined and barricaded off so that the boom or hoist does not come into contact with it. This is one of the most common causes of crane accidents and can easily kill or seriously injure people.
Adequate training for crane operators teaches them about the load limits of their equipment and how to keep a safe distance from electrical lines. OSHA and other regulatory bodies provide these guidelines, so it’s crucial that everyone involved in crane operations stays up to date on them. Clear communication is also essential, whether via radios, air horns, or hand signals.
Electrical Hazards and Other Obstacles
A wide variety of electrical hazards and other obstacles can affect crane operation safety. These may include power lines, which can be fatal if the crane contacts them. Performing thorough risk assessments and developing plans to mitigate these risks is key to crane safety. In addition, it’s important that every person who works around the equipment is fully aware of and follows established procedures.
This includes understanding equipment load capacities and avoiding overloading. It also means making sure that rigging is proper, assessing the center of gravity and the weight of a load before lifting it, and padding any sharp edges to avoid tripping hazards. Workers should always check the braking system before using the crane and remain in the cab if a power failure occurs.
Finally, a good plan should include defining a radius within which the crane must remain when operating and marking it clearly. This can help prevent accidents if people wander into the radius during operations. It’s essential that operators understand and comply with maximum crane load limits and avoid contact with power lines, which can be deadly.
Inadequate Training
It’s vital that crane operators, riggers, and signal persons undergo proper training. This means ensuring they adhere to not just federal OSHA regulations, but also manufacturer guidelines and applicable industry consensus standards.
Cranes are very powerful pieces of equipment, and a lack of proper training can lead to an accident that threatens the lives of others. In addition, someone must examine constantly the job site environment and procedures for potential hazards.
Overloading is a common problem that can occur when a crane operator inadvertently exceeds a machine’s capacity. Employers can reduce the risk of overloading by properly preparing and analyzing each lifting operation before starting work. This includes determining a load’s weight and size as well as using technologies that can help operators determine whether a load is within a crane’s capabilities.
Another potentially dangerous situation is when a crane’s hoist line or boom touches an energized power line during operation. This can electrocute anyone who happens to be touching the crane at the time, as well as anyone in the vicinity of the incident. Employers can reduce the risks of this by marking areas with insulated barriers or fences that are considered a danger zone.
Falls
A crane is a complex machine that requires specialized knowledge and skills to operate. When workers lack this requisite knowledge, the cranes become dangerous tools that can cause serious injuries to those using them.
The most common crane accidents involve falls, collapses, and overturns. To prevent these, operators must understand and follow the proper rigging techniques, including following a rated load chart and properly placing loads on blocking. Workers should also be able to identify any unsafe areas, known as danger zones, and block off these areas with insulated barriers, fences, or tape so workers cannot stray into them while the crane is moving.
Additionally, cranes should be inspected daily by the operator and a dedicated worker to ensure the brakes are not scoring, and the clutches are not over-lubricated. They should also perform a lubrication service every three months to help keep linings from wearing out. This will save time and money by keeping the brakes and clutches working at their best. In addition, we should keep a spare set of linings on hand to reduce downtime.
Collapses
Cranes that collapse pose a serious threat to the crane’s operator and other workers on or around the site. These accidents can happen for a variety of reasons. For example, a load that hasn’t been blocked with metal or wood can become unbalanced and fall on the operator or other workers. Additionally, if a crane isn’t rigged up properly or doesn’t have a proper tagline, it can lose control of the load.
Dropped Loads
A dropped load can cause severe damage, injury, and death to people on the job site. This happens when a crane’s rigging fails to secure or hold the load, or when a crane operator makes a mistake that leads to a load falling off.
Several studies show that human error causes the majority of dropped loads. These errors can include the tower crane operator attempting to lift something too heavy, or operating with a load that exceeds the crane’s capacity. Alternatively, wire ropes can fail due to damage or overstressing.
The rigger-in-charge is responsible for planning the entire crane operation, including the weight and dimensions of the load. He or she must also establish and communicate how the crane is to be operated. The rigger-in-charge must also confirm the crane’s capacity and select appropriate tackle and rigging equipment.
The rigger-in-charge should ensure that the crane does not operate within the swing radius of electrical power lines and that barricades are used to block the path of the load’s movement. He or she must also prevent workers from standing beneath suspended or swinging loads.
Crane Movement (Pinch Points)
Cranes often need to move or rotate to transport loads, which creates a hazard where people could be seriously injured. For example, a crane hoist cable or boom can intrude into a danger zone around an energized power line and cause electrocution.
Cranes also need to be checked regularly for mechanical problems such as clutches or brakes that aren’t working properly. An experienced operator and oiler should inspect them daily to detect problems such as sagging of linings, foreign material on friction components, or excessive lubrication. I should keep a spare set of linings to reduce downtime and maintenance costs. Additionally, workers should stay in the cab during power failures, place controls in the “off” position and attract attention to the rig.
Poor or Rushed Crane Inspections
The personnel who control cranes on a work site, including crane operators and signalers, are responsible for following all the safety guidelines set forth by OSHA, the crane manufacturer, and applicable industry consensus standards. This includes regular crane inspections, and making sure that we select the right crane for the job.
One of the main causes of crane accidents is that the crane isn’t properly inspected before the job starts. This includes the primary load line and tagline. If a load isn’t properly secured to these lines, it can easily slip off or crash to the ground.
Corrosion is also a major concern, particularly in wetter environments or near the ocean. Even a small spot of corrosion can lead to electrical shorts, a loss of strength, and ultimately the failure of the hoist itself. All a crew needs to do to reduce the risk of these issues is perform frequent and thorough inspections. They should also make sure to use the lockout/tag out procedure whenever they suspect mechanical problems. This will prevent the crane from accidentally starting or moving until it has been repaired.