Crawler cranes are highly useful pieces of equipment. Tgis is because they are powerful making it possible for them to lift up heavy loads. They are therefore a great resource when it comes to heavy duty construction projects. However, while they are very helpful, they are still great potential hazards. If anything is to go wrong, it would be disastrous considering their bulky nature, not to mention the loads they carry. There have been quite a number of deaths related to thr operation of crawler cranes that have been reported in the past. This makes safety a great concern when operating this machines. Here are some safety tips on the use of crawler cranes.
Select the the Right Crane for your Needs
The first step in ensuring safety when operating a crane is to pick one that is right for the job at hand. The are several variations of cranes available in the market. You should get to learn about them so that you are able to identify one that will be suitable forever your needs. The main classification of cranes is that of either being fixed or being mobile. Fixed cranes are those that are permanently installed in a particular location. They are mainly found in industrial settings.
Contrarily, mobile cranes can be transported from one place to another and are suitable for construction sites. Here, we have several variations. One of them is the crawler cranes. They are appropriate for sites that have a soft terrain since they are made of tracks rather than rubber wheels. There are also other types you can choose from depending on the setup and the nature of the site’s terrain. Before getting a crawler crane, ensure it is the right choice for you.
Get Qualified Personnel to Operate the Crawler Crane
The other way that you will ensure safety when using crawler cranes is to always use qualified personnel for the operation of the crane. This is because cranes are complicated pieces of equipment. They are made up of several components. They also tend to be quite heavy making them difficult to maneuver. As a result, they require skill and experience to operate.
Hence, you must not compromise when it comes to picking the right person or people to operate the crawler crane. They must have received the right training as required by the Occupational Safety and Healthy Administration . This will mean that they are well qualified to go about all the process involved in a crawler crane including setting up, rigging, signal and thr actual operation. This will go a long in ensuring safety at your construction site.
Carefully Go Through the Operator Manual
Even though you will find that crawler cranes have a similar general architecture, they are still manufactured by different companies. Hence, they cannot be similar to the latter. There has to be some notable differences. This can be seen in the controls, failsafe devices, and other features. You and the person who will be operating the crawler crane should have a deep understanding on how the specific crane crawler works. Hence, going through the ooerator manual will not be an option. This includes information about the load capacity, safety mechanisms, operater controls among others