5 Issues To Consider When Planning Mobile Crane Operations

The use of mobile cranes is prevalent in many industries because they offer enhanced flexibility and movability. They are quite resourceful in small spaces and busy locations such as construction sites.

Despite all its benefits, cranes continue to be a source of severe occupational accidents. Data collected by the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) reveals that 78 percent of crane-related fatalities involved a mobile or truck crane.

In most instances, these accidents occurred due to poor planning of the lifting operation; fundamental factors were overlooked in an attempt to get the job done quickly.

To help site managers prevent such accidents, we’ve outlined a list of five important considerations that should be kept in mind when designing a lift plan.

Crane Selection

Planning begins when you outline your specifications and choose a crane for the project. Before starting the job, it’s imperative to conduct an inspection of the crane prior to use. Check the lifting capacity, counterweights, and the number of rope falls to ensure they meet load lift requirements.

Test the crane and its safety features to make sure they’re all in order. It’s best to ask for the crane’s annual safety inspection report.

Load chart issues

Check to see if a load chart is present in the cabin and matches the one on the crane LMI or RCI readout. Verify that the crane has adequate capacity using the load chart and check if accurate deductions have been made to the rated capacity based on notes from the load chart.

Ground conditions

Monitoring ground conditions ensures that your crane is standing on a stable base while operating. A sturdy ground prevents sinking, slipping, and unstable outriggers. Make sure the soil is dry and that no underground excavations have been carried out recently. A ground bearing test should be used in areas where it has rained recently or are uneven.

Environment Issues

In the event of high wind speeds, check if your chosen crane can still carry out safe operations and take necessary precautions. Wind speeds lower than those specified by the manufacturer can also be troublesome and require adjustments.

If you’re operating in a windy area, you’ll need crane wind speed indicators for safe operations.

Make sure there aren’t any live power lines running through the operating radius of the crane.

According to The Center for Construction Research and Training, over 25 percent of crane-related fatalities involve electrocution by overhead power lines, so you want to eliminate this risk beforehand completely.

Crane Safety Features

Only certified crane operators should be allowed to operate one—they should also know about safety precautions and common hand signals.

Safety mechanisms such as the load indicators, anti-two block alarm, boom angle, and boom length indicators should be properly calibrated. Depending on the type of project being carried out or the environmental conditions, you might need to install additional crane warning systems.

Crane Warning Systems Atlanta is the leading distributor of Rayco Wylie products in the US. We offer a wide selection of crane safety systems such as crane capacity indicators and crane wind speed indicator, to enhance the safety of your project.

To find out more about our high-quality crane safety systems, get in touch online, or call 1-877-672-2951.