Category Archives: Crane

Crane Hand Signals on the Jobsite

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It is not that the operator does all to operate heavy equipment. At times, it is also the guy who gives signals to the operator and asks him to do what he wants him to do. Especially when the operator is working on a crane, he is more dependent on signals coming from the man he can see. He has to work precisely on those signals and can’t afford to do things on his own. Therefore it is necessary that there is a good understanding level between the operator and the man who gives signals to him.

They should be in sync with each other and the operator should not have any problem in comprehending the signals he is getting from the man in front of him. He needs signals because it is not possible for him to judge things properly and for which he needs a helping hand. Now the helping hand need not be in the form of somebody working along with him inside the cabin. He requires someone who is outside the cab and guides him all along to do a particular job which he can’t do sitting alone inside the cabin.

Now when an operator does requires a man to give him signals. He requires him the most when he needs to either load or unload a heavy thing and his view is obstructed by an object. This means that he can’t see his intended path and therefore needs someone who can guide him there. The most common and preferred form of signal used is the hand signal. The operator in this case does not want to rely on any gadget and want a person to guide him. He may not be as comfortable with a gadget and if he is not comfy with something he can’t complete a critical thing with accuracy. Moreover, as mentioned earlier there needs to be a good understanding between the signaler and the receiver. If by any chance the co-ordination between them goes wrong, it may have serious repercussions.

At a point in time, there should be only one signaler. There should not be multiple people giving signals to the operator. He may get confused if there are multiple signals given to him and end up in a disaster. Also not any person should be given the work to give signals to the operator. Only a person who is qualified and knows which signal means what should be assigned this job. Different gestures have different meanings and the signaler should be aware of every signs. Also the operator should have thorough knowledge about signals so that he can comprehend it well and act accordingly.

If there is a change of signaler that should be informed to the operator and the signaler should also wear the badge which indicates that he is now authorized to give signals. Ideally, it is recommended to have one signaler for one operator. The operator should take one signal from no matter who gives it and it is the STOP signal. If the signals are followed religiously, then the chances of accidents happening will be drastically reduced.

Regarding Crane Retirement Laws

Cranes are very important parts of the construction industry. However, the improper maintenance of cranes can lead to devastating accidents. Therefore, according to many regulations in different parts of the world, the fitness of a crane cannot simply be determined by the age of the crane. Jim Wiethon who is the principal and chairman at Haag said that the there are no correlations between accidents and age of the cranes. These were his words at the annual meeting of Specialized Carriers and Rigging Association which was held in Boca Raton. He also added that owing to the acceleration of the building industry in New York City it is important that all manufacturers provide with equipment that are modern and updated.

According to laws stipulated in Singapore all contractors are required to get their machines retired after they have reached appropriate age. This provision could be for twenty to thirty service years that depend on the capacity of the crane. However, one can ho for an extension of the service period provided if the inspection validates that the equipment is still safe for operation. Similar measures have been considered by the jurisdictions of Canada and US.

Vice president and COO of Woodland, Zack Parnell said that a crane does not get weathered by time but application and maintenance can play a big role in damaging the equipment beyond use. President of Cranes, Rob Weiss said that accidents are also very frequent with new cranes. He added that in reports of several recent unfortunate crane events in the New York City the cause of the accident was not the age of the crane but the maintenance.

According to the officials of safety and health in Singapore, the laws have been surfaced on account of the all the accidents that had happened in the region for dysfunctional equipment which have been put to use for prolonged service periods. However, it has also been reported that the age laws of Singapore have been prepared with more focus on curbing foreign competition than the safety concern.

However, the law has not been gladly accepted by all members of the construction industry. It has been said by crane experts that the recent laws are only reactionary. They have also opined that that these laws have been implemented as an attempt to mask other problems like ill maintenance of construction machinery. There have been different rebuttals against the retirement laws passed in this regard.

Some experts are of the belief that time does have an effect on the functionality of a carne. Some of the arguments in favor of the law of crane retirement include that that crane members become much stressed and in fact that could be the most stressed parts of the entire routine engineering. In many cases, cracks are detected only after the occurrence of a major accident. After the detection it is often found that those small cracks have been avoided for a long time only to let it be aggravated to something big.

 

Be Safe While Operating a Crane- Take Certain Precautions

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If you are a part of the construction industry, you must be well aware of the potential hazards that the use of heavy equipment poses. Wondering what is it that you can do in this direction? Well, starting off by incorporating certain precautions with respect to the handling of heavy construction equipment would be good.

Cranes- An Indispensible Part of the Construction Industry

It is a widely known and accepted fact that heavy equipment is an indispensible part of the construction industry, without which the industry would cease to exist. And cranes are one of the most important equipment in the arena of construction. Used as a means of carrying load from one place to another, cranes prove to be a great alternative, getting the entire job done faster and more efficiently as compared to manual means. Not only does it save a lot of time, but also reduces physical labor by a considerable extent.

What Can You Do To Remain Safe While Operating Cranes?

As in the case of any other heavy construction equipment, cranes too are susceptible to be the cause of potential hazards when not handled carefully. However, certain precautions can always help in the reduction of the rate of mishaps if not altogether eliminate it.

  • You could begin by checking the different parts of the crane before it is put to use. Make sure that all the parts are in order now and then in order to avoid potential mishaps from the use of cranes with faulty parts.
  • Ensure that the load placed on the crane is proportional to its capacity. Not only is this important for the optimum performance of the crane but is also a way of steering clear of the danger zone by forcing the crane to bear more load than it can.
  • It is also prudent if crane operators work along with another co-operator so as to have a helping hand when in need. This way one of the partners can work as the signal system when in need. But ensure that the second person selected by you is well up to the job.
  • Those responsible for the smooth operation at construction sites must make sure that they hire operators who are sufficiently skilled and have proper training in the field. It would also be best if they are also well aware of all the safety precautions.
  • Double checking the loads before starting your day with the crane is another precaution that you could consider.
  • And last but not the least- be absolutely alert when operating with the crane. Ensure that any kind of damage or glitch is reported immediately and sorted out. This is one simple measure that could save a lot of damage with respect to cranes at construction sites.

As it has always been said that “prevention is better than cure”- the same holds true for the operation of cranes. It is best if you are alert and practice certain precautionary measures instead of waking up to damage control after the mishap.