Overhead Crane Dos and Don’ts and Six Misconceptions on Crane Safety

 Crane safety dos and don’ts for overhead crane operation and 6 crane safety misconceptions for you to observe your overhead crane operation to ensure your crane manufacturer safety.

Overhead Crane Safety: Overhead Crane Dos and Don’ts

Overhead crane  application and operation safey 

During overhead crane operation, the Dos and Don’ts should be bear in mind, which is closely connected with overhead crane safety and performances. The overhead crane operation rules should be bear in mind for the overhead crane safety to prevent crane accidents. It is the duty for every crane operator and every worker to be conscious of the overhead crane limitations and potential dangers. Therefore, in the following, the general dos and don’ts of overhead cranes are presented for the sake of your crane safety.
Dos for overhead crane operation

• Do aware of the overhead crane load limit and rated load capacity. The load limit of the overhead crane is the maximum rated load of the overhead crane. And the overloading of overhead crane limit and rated capacity of the overhead crane can be resulting in the serious crane accidents.
• Do make the crane operator trained. The crane operator should be trained and qualified to operate the overhead crane.
• Do point a signaler to communicate the crane operator during operation. The crane signaler has to communicate with the crane operator efficiently with hand signals, radio and other ways.
• Do have a way of direct communication which enable workers on the floor or ground to talk with the crane operator, which may avoid miscommunication and improve crane safety by alerting the crane operator when the occurring of the crane emergency or the potential emergency.
• Do have supervisors who supervises the crane operation. Any mis-or-improper operation or operations that may result in danger should be timely stopped and warn the crane operator or the related working staffs.
• Do have the foremen, supervisors and other crane related workers trained.

Don’ts for overhead crane operation

• Don’t let personal who are not familiar or not qualified to operate the overhead crane.
• Don’t let unqualified personnel to communicate with the crane operator because wrong or unclear hand signals may result in serious crane accidents.
• Don’t rely on one way such as hand signals to communicate with the crane operator. Hand signals are slow and may cause confusing for new or inexperienced workers when emergency occurs.
• It’s prohibited to let people ride on the crane which could easily fall and get injured unless it has attachments or devices designed specifically to lift or transport people.
• Don’t over load the rated capacity of the overhead crane. Even the slightly overloading is dangerous which may resulting in serious crane accidents and injuries.
• Do not do anything that will distract your attention.
• Do not lift, lower, or transport a load with the crane or hoist until all working staffs are out of the load and the load’s path.
• Do not transport persons by the overhead crane, hoist, trolley , hoist hook, or load.
• Do not hang loads over persons.
• Do not use the primary upper limit devices as an operation limit with other operation limits available.

Don’t neglect any crane safety and proper crane operation rules or regulations or constructions.

Six Misconception on Overhead Crane Safety

Overload

Various crane safety measures are installed on the overhead crane, therefore I do not need to worry about the overloading of the overhead crane.

Facts: It is the most dangerous misconceptions about overhead crane.

• Even though there are built in safety factors in some parts of overhead crane, the safety of the whole system of the overhead crane cannot be guaranteed under overloading.
• The safety factor of the building where the overhead crane are installed cannot be guaranteed under overloading.
• It is also important to know that not all the electric hoists are equipped with overload protection system.
• Misuse and mis operation can lead to the crane accidents.

Upper limit switch

When I lift, I need the height I can get, so I must lift until I hit the upper limit switch.
Facts:

• The upper limit switch is a hoist is designed to prevent the hook assembly from colliding with the drum, which is a safety devices but not an operation device.
•  If the ultimate supper switch fails, the hook block and the drum will collide and the wire rope probably will fail, dropping the load.
• The operational upper limit switch will be installed with a second switch which is wire in a fail-safe mode. If you don’t wire it in the way, you won’t be able to tell when the first switch has failed until they both fail and the overhead crane drops the load.

Secondary braking

Misconception: All hoists have a secondary brake, so I can work underneath a load without fear of injury.

Fact:

• The misconception on overhead crane is terribly dangerous. The primary and a secondary brake are required to be installed on the overhead crane. When the first braking failed, the secondary brake, which is a mechanical load brake will generates a lot of heat and usually isn’t used for applications with more 30 tons or for high usage applications of any capacity.
• The critical fact about a regenerative brake is that it does not hold the load in the event of primary brake failure, but rather will lower the load at its normal operating speed.
• You should never stand under a loaded hoist. Doing so will definitely "split your skull," whether the load is free-falling or falling at a so-called "controlled speed."

Overhead Crane Dos and Don’ts and Six Misconceptions on Crane Safety