Operating an overhead crane with proper safety measures is critical. The operator of the overhead crane is always anxious about the people near the machine when working. For any little mistake, the ultimately heavy crane can injure or disable people below it. It can also cause death to the victim of an overhead crane mishap. So, to be safe while working with overhead cranes, training must be given to the operators.
Here, we will discuss some tips to safely handle an overhead crane to avoid mishaps and accidents.
An Overhead Crane is much heavier than we can imagine. The weight is so high that it can collapse any building if it falls on it. An overhead crane is very accident prone because of the stupendous handling. If the operator makes any mistake, it can cause terrible damage to nearby people and buildings. So, proper training and tips are required to operate an overhead crane safely.
Apart from the operator, the people nearby the working area of the overhead crane should be cautious. They should maintain the necessary distance from the crane, as suggested by the working personnel. Maintaining proper safety measures can lower the chances of accidents.
Where is an overhead crane required?
In this era of industries and high buildings, tower crane is the most required machine for building sky-high buildings, goliath cranes for bridges, EOT Cranes for industrial spaces, and whatnot. The machine is needed for heavy lifting, lowering a load, and moving large blocks of material pieces horizontally. It is used in places where the weight is too heavy to lift for human strength or too high to climb up. An overhead crane is very convenient as it can move things up-down and forward-backwards.
Why is operational safety important?
Most of the time, operation failure happens when the controller doesn’t park the crane at zero. Another reason is that the crane doesn’t stop at the expected time. Maybe, an unprepared driver will blame the break’s failure. However, incorrect operations will be the reason.
Therefore, you should always look for an experienced operator. He or she will be able to take care of the situation. Experienced crane operators will have a lot of knowledge on the subject. They can also inspect a crane thoroughly before operating it and find out the issues. Taking care of those issues will save you from numerous accidents.
Start with an assessment of the risk involved.
Needless to state, lifting or moving heavy loads involve significant risks. The extent of risk enhances proportionally with the rise in the load volume. Hence, before starting the lifting, it is important that you have an adequate assessment of the involved risks and threats. It will pinpoint the areas that stand most vulnerable to catch any hazards. Based on this assessment, you need to arrange for suitable functional and safety guidelines. Although it is impossible to completely nullify the chances of operational risks, these plans and preparation will help you mitigate the risks to a major extent.
As a trick in this regard, you must get your priorities right. It implies, the probable risks and threats involved should get attention based on its degree of fatality. You should arrange preventive measures based on these priorities.
It is important to select the right lifting technique.
When it comes to loading lifting and moving, you can either opt for manual or mechanical methods. Now, both these aspects have their inherent features. It will involve respective pros and cons. Most importantly, the suitability of the lifting process depends on the nature and volume of the load. You should decide on the lifting process based on these considerations. However, manual lifting involves a greater degree of risks and threats. Therefore, if you need to lift or move an excessive load, you should always opt for mechanical lifting. It will help you to prevent the chances of accidents and fatality to a large extent.
In some instances, manual lifting becomes unavoidable. In such situations, you should take adequate measures to minimize the risks and threats to the extent possible. You may consider the following points in such situations:
- Minimize the manual load handling needs to the extent possible
- You should be ready with adequate and appropriate safety measures in case manual lifting becomes inevitable.
- Arrange for the necessary safety gears for the lifters
- The workforce should have a precise idea about the type and the volume of the load.
- Reduce the distance to lift or move the load to the extent possible. The smaller is the distance, the lower are the chances of catching any risks.
- It is important that you render adequate training to the workforce about manual lifting. The lifters should know about the probable safety measure that will allow them to escape the chances of catching injuries in the course of the assignment.
Necessary arrangements for mechanical lifting
Mechanical lifting features higher accuracy and a lesser extent of risk compared to manual lifting. However, even this approach is not completely foolproof. Instances of fatalities and accidents occurring during mechanical lifting are so common. Therefore, you cannot afford to relax on the plea that you are going for lifting mechanisms. Rather, it is important to check the lifting framework is stable and sturdy enough to withstand the force of the lifted load. In addition, there has to be an adequate supporting mechanism to reduce the chances of accidents in the course of lifting.
Most commonly, overhead lifting cranes get involved in the assignments of lifting and moving loads. Before you start the task, you need to check the crane is in the right working condition to accommodate hefty loads. It will help you to mitigate the chances of accidents and risks to a major extent. Following are the measures that you should ideally adopt in these instances:
- Regular crane inspection is very crucial. Through regular inspection, you can identify if the machine is in the right working condition or it needs any repair or replacements immediately. The inspection outcome will help you to identify these threats early before problems intensify. Thus, you can manage the risks and threats at an early stage. It will suffice with the minimum effort, time and will involve the minimum repair and replacement expenses.
- You should have regular repair and maintenance schedules. You need to attend to the challenges at their earliest. It ensures that the mechanism is in the perfect working condition to function in the safest and the most productive manner. In other words, you can escape the threats and risks and still manage the lifting and moving assignments in the most effective manner. It contributes to the escalation of operational productivity in the most proficient manner.
- Please allow appropriate and regular rest to the lifting mechanism. It will minimize the wear and tear to a major extent, ensuring the mechanism stays in the best operational stage.
What are the reasons for crane accidents?
Crane accidents happen due to several reasons. Some of the reasons are:
- When the crane comes in contact with the power line.
- Faulty construction or assembling of the crane.
- The collapse of the boom.
- Unqualified crane operator.
- Rigging failure.
- Crane’s improper maintenance.
- When a crane collapses due to overloading.
- Wrong selection of the crane.
What are the significant hazards, and how to prevent them? Let us understand the significant hazards that take place mostly. Knowing their preventive measures will help you during your operations.
Overloading
According to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), 80% of crane failures happen due to overloading. If overload occurs, the machine goes under stress. The damage will be irreversible. If the crane takes weight beyond its capacity, the load may fall.
To avoid that, OSHA suggests giving your workers formal training. Besides, fathom the maximum load capacity of the crane. Make sure not to exceed that load. It will keep your crane safe for a long time.
Falling of the load
Using overhead cranes involves falling off the materials. It is one of the vital concerns of a working site. Some principal reasons for declining are slipping, visual impairment, two-blocking, mechanical failure, and others. The operator’s incompetency is another reason for this issue. If you cannot secure your materials, it can create fatalities. For instance, if the load is not tight enough, it may fall from the crane.
One of the ways of preventing this is the hoist’s regular maintenance. The maintenance will give you an idea of the highest load it can take. You can create good working conditions once you know about the maximum loads. It would be best to be serious about maintenance whenever you are dealing with heavy types of machinery.
Electrical hazards
Electrical hazards are common hazards too. Many crane failures and accidents occur when the types of machinery come in contact with electrical power sources. To be specific, if any of the metallic parts of the crane touches a power line with high voltage, it creates an accident. Generally, the person sitting on the crane will get electrocuted, but it creates danger for other workers. The power of the incident will take numerous lives.
You have to follow OSHA’s regulations when working near an electric line, even if you are 100-feet outside the radius. Therefore, your operators should understand that all the electric lines are in power unless the electric company tells him/her. There should be a safe speed when they are working near an electric line. Pneumatic, non-conductive, or radio-controlled systems are the best options in this situation. So, here you can understand why operational safety is essential. It will save you from various unwanted disasters. Also, your workers will stay safe if you can apply the safety measures strictly. You must take all the necessary steps to make your operational area safe. It will help you in the long run.
Safety tips for operating the overhead crane
The tips and tricks are essential to know before using an overhead crane. The tips are to be thoroughly followed and maintained. Go through the following basic tips to operate the overhead crane safely,
- A visual inspection is the first step of handling an overhead crane
- Check for the different parts of the crane. If damaged, don’t operate it.
- Inspect the site of function and get a knowledge of possible damages for any mistake. If congested, vacant the area and building before operating.
- Each load needs different slings according to the weight
- Select the proper sling for each load. Inspect the slings for damages. The slings and riggings are to be inspected for stretches and defects. A defected or torn down sling is prohibited from use.
- Make sure the corners have softer slings
- It is because hard slings at corners can break, and broken slings are dangerous to use.
- Designate a single signaler to the operator
- Ensure no other people disturb the operator or give any signal to the operator other than a stop signal.
- The signaler should maintain a clear agreed-upon signal to the operator. A signaler can also use a wire connection. But make sure the operator and signaler are familiar with the signal languages used by each other.
Some other essential overhead crane operational safety tips
- Make sure the overhead crane is suitable for the planned task. Check the capacity of the crane for lifting, travelling.
- Check if the site's area and roads are free from blockages for the overhead crane's large space.
- Confirm the target load. Check if the overhead crane is capable of lifting, travel, hoist the target load. Do not engage the crane if the capacity is exceeded.
- Stability is to be checked before the engagement of work.
- Confirm the stabilizers are fully deployed and safe to use.
- The rigging of the overhead crane is to be checked for any damages or disorientations before use.
- Ensure all the machines and other equipment are in destined places.
- Before starting, warn all people nearby, including the working personnel. Ensure the path of lifting is clear of persons and other obstructions.
- Centre the overhead crane hoist on the load. This will prevent over-swinging during the lift.
- Carefully glide the sling completely onto the lifting hoist and check if the latch is closed. The sling should not be hammered or tipped while loading.
- The load should be tightly attached to the sling. Any loose material on the load would be dangerous to hoist.
- Step away from the sling after taking out the slack, and the lift is started. Make sure your hands and fingers are not trapped in the slack.
- Try to minimize the swing by moving the load smoothly. This process will be more secure if the lift is not too high from the ground while moving.
- The load should be raised as low as possible. No people should be allowed to ride the load or hook.
- Slide the load from the hook. Do not push or pull it.
- Do not leave the load suspended and unattended.
- After use, store the slings in clean and dry places, hung on hooks.
