Mobile Crane Safety Tips
Mobile cranes are your best bet when you need to move or hoist heavy objects in your construction site or warehouse. The extract below discusses the various safety precautions you should take when using mobile cranes.
Use the Right Crane
Use the right crane for the right purpose. For instance, a rough terrain mobile crane has a high ground clearance to ensure you can access uneven areas in the construction site or mine. A telescopic handler can be used indoors or in constricted areas while a crawler crane can lift massive objects to extended heights.
Check the crane's weight limits. Overloading the crane could lead to severe accidents at your site. Besides, it could reduce the longevity of the crane since its parts will wear out fast.
Train Your Personnel
Cranes should be operated by trained, licenced and experienced personnel. Different models have varying operating mechanisms. Therefore, if you purchase or hire a new crane, ensure your operators are trained on how to use the machine. Besides, provide copies of the user manual to ensure they have an easy time acquainting themselves to the crane's controls.
Crane Maintenance
Below are a few crane maintenance tips to observe;
- During crane hire, ask for the crane's inspection report and service records.
- Use genuine spare parts on the crane. Besides, do not miss its service schedule.
- Cranes operate under massive weights. Therefore, the crane's tires should have sufficient thread at all times.
- The crane should be inspected daily. Check the hoist wire rope, lose nuts, corroded drums, cracks in the crane's structure, gears, bearings, and shafts.
On-site Safety
Your site should be safe for your employees and the general public. Take employees liability insurance and a general liability cover to protect employees and members of the public. Your cranes should have a comprehensive insurance cover. The crane should be operated in a safe environment. Avoid rainy weather as it causes poor visibility and makes the ground slippery. Be on the lookout for overhead hazards such as low lying power lines.
Your employees should observe adequate safety precautions. For example, you should provide them with safety clothing and equipment such as reflector jackets, safety boots, and gloves. They must also have a proper communication strategy. For instance, they could use walkie-talkies, hand signals or flags to communicate with the plant operator.
When using mobile cranes, always use the right crane, train your personnel on how to operate the machine, observe the crane's maintenance schedule and the recommended on-site safety precautions.
For more information, contact a mobile crane hire company like Davo's Crane Hire.
