Crane and Lifting Safety Dos and Don’ts
Crane and Lifting Safety Dos and Don’ts |
Crane and Lifting Safety Dos and Don’ts
Crane and lifting safety The crane is a useful machine for lifting
heavy load in industries such as construction, manufacturing, warehousing,
ports, etc. However, it poses hazards and potential risks of
falling materials, toppling due to overload or loose or uneven surface,
electrical hazards when working near overhead power lines, collision with the
neighboring facility, etc.
To control all these risks,
the crane operator must be competent and respect the established standards.
Failure or tilting of the crane can cause a catastrophic accident, therefore,
the operation should be supervised by a competent supervisor and comply with
the method statement, lifting plan, and job safety analysis. All lifting and rigging
equipment must be certified for proper use. Regular maintenance and preventive
checks must be carried out and documented.
Dos and Don'ts of
crane and lifting safety
help educate workers involved in the lifting operation and always remind them
of safety precautions during the lifting operation.
Crane and Lifting Safety Dos and Don’ts
Here are the quick safety Dos and Don’ts for crane and lifting
operation to remind you the safety measures during lifting operation.
Dos
- Make sure the crane has a valid third-party certificate for its lifting capacity and safe load indicator.
- The rigging capacity and the material load must match.
- Allow only one competent person to signal the crane operator.
- All crane operations should be carried out maintaining minimum safety distances from all high voltage lines, up to 50KV, this distance should not be less 3 meters.
- The counterweight and housing rotation radius of all cranes must be properly barricaded to prevent personnel from contacting or being struck by them.
- The crane operator and rigger must be competent and have a valid certificate of competence and medical aptitude.
- The crane operator must perform a daily inspection of the crane.
- Written lifts plan in place before critical lifts.
- Use lifting tools and cranes that have been inspected.
- The Safe Working Load (SWL) must be marked on the crane
- Make sure the crane
is lifted above ground by outrigger on pads.
- Check that the outrigger and boom oil are correct and not leaking.
- Barricade the area before using the crane and follow the work permit system.
- Visually inspect slings and ropes regularly for damage.
- Ensure that tag line is in place before lifting.
- Check the center of gravity of the crane being used and the angle of the sling.
- Always hold the hooks by the rod and attach the slings to the shackles.
- The pin of the shackle must be hooked to the hook. The rope should not roll over the pin.
- The buzzer or the hooter must be in service.
- Use appropriate personal protective equipment
Don’s
- Don’t use a crane to pull loads.
- Don’t allow personnel to walk under a raised load.
- Don’t walk within swing zone of the crane.
- Don’t load the crane above its safe working load.
- Don’t use defective tools and tackles and with missing tags.
- Don’t be in way of the material being positioned by tug.
- Never wrap the rope directly around the hook.
- Don’t allow side loading which could tip the crane
- Don’t ride crane with a suspended load.
- Don’t allow lifting work if the wind speed exceed 35 km/h.
- Don’t allow the rope to swing or twist causing to unravel.
- Don’t allow welding or electrical work on materials retained by the wire rope of the crane to avoid shorting of crane control.
- Don’t move the crane within 3m of overhead power lines.
Summery
Before performing a crane and
lifting operation, you must prepare a detailed method statement supported by a
lifting plan and a job safety analysis. The surface plate load test for its
load capacity must be performed by a competent person.
Conduct a toolbox talk to
communicate all hazards, risks and controls to personnel involved in the
lifting operation. The crane with a valid inspection-test certificate should
only be allowed to operate by a competent operator and the work should be
supervised.
Crane and Lifting
Safety Dos and Don'ts
help educate workers and can be used as a quick guide to safe operation.
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