Safety Equipment to Look Out for When Hiring a Crane
Today, cranes are among the most widely used machines all over the world. They are applicable in many projects ranging from the construction industry to rescue missions involving heavy machinery. If you are working on a project that requires you to hire a crane, safety must be among your primary considerations. Assess the risks once the crane sets foot on the site and list the hazards that it poses to your workers in the course of the project. Doing this will place you in a better position to select a crane with the best assortments of safety equipment. Here are some of the safety equipment you need to look out for:
Boom Angle Indicators
When a crane is standing on level ground, there are two angle implications with respect to the crane boom or arm. The boom refers is the part projecting straight ahead for the main body of the crane. When the crane is not in operation, the boom lies at an approximate one hundred and eighty degrees to the crane's frame. During operation, the boom must move at an angle for the operator to hoist loads successfully. An improper inclination of the boom, such as by stretching it too far, is a notorious cause of accidents when hoisting loads with a crane. Depending on the configuration of the crane, different manufacturers specify different ranges of angular inclination for the crane's boom. Operating beyond the recommended range elevates the risk of an accident in the workplace. With a boom angle indicator, your operator can always monitor the boom's angle and ensure that it stays within the required range.
Spirit Level
Levelling is very important when working with a crane on any project. For instance, tower cranes must be set up on level ground for optimal stability as the crane extends several feet upwards. Spirit levels will help you assess if the crane has been installed well to derive the optimal support from the ground. Lack of stability elevates the risk of toppling over when hoisting the load.
Load Moment Indicators
A safe crane should also come with load moment indicators to minimise accidents resulting from the momentum generated by hoisted load. Note that two forces are exerted on the hoisting mechanism. The first one is the downward, vertical force pulling on the hoisting mechanism because of the load's weight and the force of gravity. The second force results from the movement of the load as it swings over a certain radius. The more the weight of the load, the higher its load momentum. Basically, load moment indicators help the operators to strike the balance between the weight of the load and load momentum to keep the hoisting mechanism from snapping.