Risk Assessment for Heavy Lifting Use of Cranes

The Most Common Crane Hazards

Most of the activities in advanced engineering specific to the architectural, manufacturing and industrial sectors are inevitable in the current era of construction. Working with heavy cranes poses many critical hazards, and such unsafe working practices can result in severe human injuries, fatalities and financial damage to buildings and materials. Therefore, here we will discuss how we can avoid the main hazards and how we can minimize them at ALARP level.
The following are some of the leading heavy lifting machinery (crane-related hazards) include:

The Falling of Loads

Often when working with overhead tower cranes, falling of loads is one of the most frequent, common, and most dangerous and critical hazards. Such of the falling load can result in various injuries, fatalities and important architectural damages to buildings, property and facilities. Moreover, it will also lead to significant time and financial costs.

Causes of Falling Loads from Overhead Heavy Duty Cranes:

1. Operator Incompatibility. As being an employer or your subordinate as a coworker, you must ensure that your employees or workforce are appropriately well trained so they can carry out their operative roles safely.
2. Slipping of Material or Object. As a crane operator, if you don’t properly secure loads it can result in slipping of material, objects and other items.
3. Mechanical Failure of the Lifting Machinery. The risk of mechanical failure can be minimized if you ensure a qualified and competent engineer or supervisor carries out routine inspections, maintenance and repairs at suitable intervals as per the national and international required lifting machinery standards and standard operating procedures.
4. Two Blocking and how it occurs. Two blocking occurs when an uppermost hoist line element (for example the load block, hook block, overhaul ball) touches the upper block, boom tip or same part. When two blocking occurs, increased tension is placed on the line which can result in falling of loads or crane parts. This could be very dangerous and could turn into a severe collapse.

Electrical Hazards

More than 50% of severe overhead accidents involving cranes are a result of a metallic part of heavy lifting machinery (crane) coming into contact with a power installation wires and cables (e.g., a high-voltage power line)? There’s a severe risk of a crane’s hoist line or boom touching energized power lines when moving materials or objects nearby or underneath. While those directly touching the heavy lifting machinery crane are the most possibly to be electrocuted, any employee in the locality are also at high risk and leads to a very critical situation. Due to such occurrence, even one accident can result in multiple human life losses and critical injuries. Always proper lifting plan could minimize such losses

The Crane Overloading

The most of crane structural failures are the result of s overloading a crane. If load exceed a crane’s operational capacity, it is likely to subject it to structural stresses and cause permanent damage.
How you could overload a heavy crane if you:
⦁ Swing of loads.
⦁ Suddenly drop offloads.
⦁ Hoist loads above the cranes recommended capacity.
⦁ Use faulty and flawed components.
⦁ Drag loads.
⦁ Side-load a boom.

Crane Operating Safety Instructions

To carry out heavy crane operations safely, do the following:
1-As an employer, it is your legal responsibility to provide appropriate health and safety training to all employees to be competent at their lifting related tasks. It will minimize financial or human losses.
2-Never stand under a crane or have a load lifted over you. Employees must be aware of this and avoid walking through any zones where cranes are overhead.
3-Always carry out routine maintenance and repairs of all on-site equipment at appropriate intervals. It is the part of an employer’s legal responsibility under lifting laws of the state and involves carrying out routine, periodic maintenance and repairs to ensure machinery is in safe working condition.
4-Competent Supervisor should be present on-site at all times when cranes are in operation.
5-Always train and give knowledge to the employees that they should be aware of, and strictly enforce, load and lifting limits.
6-Clear warning signals and awareness posters for health and safety should be displayed on-site when needed. All the relevant hazard signs and posters in all danger zones on-site to warn the employees of the potential hazards. As being an employer, always make ensure all your employees know and understand all the warning signs so they are aware of when they are entering a danger zone.
7-Provision of appropriate PPE for all employees is mandatory. It should be ensured that all employees wear appropriate foot, head and eye protection, along with any other PPE you have identified in your risk assessment.
8-Before starting the lifting operation, appropriate safety-plan must be in place.

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