Cranes are often a necessary piece of equipment to have on a job site. If you don’t own your own crane or you’re in need of extra equipment, crane rentals can help. While you’re in possession of a crane rental, safe operation should be a top priority. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 22% of fatal job site accidents involving a crane, a worker was actively operating the crane when the accident took place. With this in mind, let’s look at a few ways you can ensure safety while operating cranes.
1. Insist on Proper Training
Safe crane operation always starts with proper training. There is always a temptation to hurry along a job schedule by skipping the time it takes to thoroughly train operators. This is never the way to expedite a job, though. Proper training is especially important if you’re using crane rentals. You’re under an obligation to the rental company to operate the machinery in a safe and legal way. This includes only allowing properly trained operators in the driver’s seat.
2. Avoid Overloading
Overloading is a common mistake that’s made with crane operation. Overloading is sometimes a result of rushing a job, but other times it’s a result of poor judgment. Crane operators need to be explicitly trained and instructed on how much is a safe load. Overloading can result in deadly accidents on your job site.
3. Avoid Operating in Bad Weather
Bad weather can really slow down a project and totally derail an otherwise productive day of work. It can be tempting to want to push on with project tasks despite bad weather moving in. It’s imperative that you do not operate crane rentals during poor weather. Doing so could result in lightning strikes, operator injury, equipment getting stuck, and other issues.
4. Always Conduct Proper Inspections
Prior to each day of operation, the crane should be properly inspected for problems. This preventive step can help you avoid a lot of expensive and dangerous problems. The crane rental company should provide you with an inspection checklist to use during these evaluations.
These are just a few ways to ensure safe operations of crane rentals. If you’re in need of heavy equipment rentals, please contact Skyline Crane Rental today. We provide our clients with plenty of safety support!
