Safety Measures for Crane Operation
Employers must permit only thoroughly trained and competent workers to operate cranes. Operators should know what they are lifting and what it weighs.
For example, the rated capacity of mobile cranes varies with the length of the boom and the boom radius. When a crane has a telescoping boom, a load may be safe to lift at a short boom length or a short boom radius, but may overload the crane when the boom is extended and the radius increases.
To reduce the severity of an injury, employers must take the following precautions:
- Equip all cranes which have adjustable booms with boom angle indicators.
- Provide cranes with telescoping booms with some means to determine boom lengths unless the load rating is independent of the boom length.
- Post load rating charts in the cab of cab-operated cranes. (All cranes do not have uniform capacities for the same boom length and radius in all directions around the chassis of the vehicle.)
- Require workers to always check the crane's load chart to ensure the crane will not be overloaded by operating conditions.
- Instruct workers to plan lifts before starting them to ensure they are safe.
- Tell workers to take additional precautions and exercise extra care when operating around power lines.
- Teach workers outriggers on mobile cranes must rest on firm ground, on timbers, or be sufficiently cribbed to spread the weight of the crane and the load over a large enough area. (Some mobile cranes cannot operate with outriggers in the traveling position.)
- Direct workers to always keep hoisting chains and ropes free of kinks or twists and never wrapped around a load.
- Train workers to attach loads to the load hook by slings, fixtures, and other devices which have the capacity to support the load on the hook.
- Instruct workers to pad sharp edges of loads to prevent cutting slings.
- Teach workers to maintain proper sling angles so slings are not loaded in excess of their capacity.
- Ensure all cranes are inspected frequently by persons thoroughly familiar with the crane, the methods of inspecting the crane, and what can make the crane unserviceable. Crane activity, the severity of use, and environmental conditions should determine inspection schedules.
- Ensure the critical parts of a crane - such as crane operating mechanisms, hooks, air, or hydraulic system components and other load-carrying components are inspected daily for any maladjustment, deterioration, leakage, deformation, or other damage.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
3-2. What must crane operators do to make sure the crane will not be overloaded by operating conditions?
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