Health & Safety Training Ltd

The Health and Safety Kit: Working with Cranes

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The Health and Safety Kit: Working with Cranes

Working with CranesCranes are regularly used in a whole host of lifting operations, throughout a range of working environments, from unloading cargo at ports and dockyards to moving equipment and materials around construction sites.

However without the proper training and maintenance, a crane can become a very dangerous piece of equipment. According to the HSE, there have been 61 accidents, 25 serious injuries and 9 fatalities since 2001 as a result of incidents involving cranes.

As an employer, it is your duty to ensure your workers have the required skills and knowledge to keep themselves and those around them safe when operating cranes.

The Hazards

Tower and mobile cranes are the most commonly used in many sectors, and are utilised extensively in construction and demolition. The 2 most major hazards presented by this type of crane are:

Collapsing Cranes

If a crane collapses there is a very real risk of multiple injuries and even fatalities to these working or visiting the surrounding areas. These types of incidents usually result from lack of proper maintenance of the crane itself, or improper and unsafe use of the crane by the operative.

Falling loads

Falling loads can cause potentially life-threatening crushing injuries to those working beneath it and in the immediate vicinity. These types of incidents can be caused by improper loading, or use in unsafe conditions, such as high winds.

Other likely, but less common causes of accidents include:

  • People being struck by moving loads
  • People being struck by moving cranes
  • Cranes colliding with each other
  • Cranes colliding with buildings or other equipment

The majority of cranes used in construction aren’t owned by the contractor, and are hired from specialist companies. This means that the responsibility for their safe use lies with both the crane hirer and the crane user.

Unless otherwise stated in the hire contract, the duty to ensure safe lifting operations lies with the user, and they must follow the relevant regulations in relation to planning, supervising and carrying out lifting operations. If the hirer has not undergone the necessary training to give them the required competencies, they must obtain a ‘contract lift’ for the hirer to assume responsibility instead.

The Law

British Standard BS 7121Part 1 2006 sets the standard for managing lifting operations using cranes in the construction industry. It states that before any work involving the use of cranes can begin, all lifting operations should be carefully planned to ensure they are undertaken safely, with all the reasonably foreseeable risks accounted for.

The person chosen to undertake the plan should hold adequate theoretical knowledge and practical skills and experience in lifting to ensure they can recognise likely risks and plan for all eventualities.

The plan itself needs to be conducted in line with an adequate risk assessment to ensure it properly identifies all possible risks and if necessary must detail the required resources, procedures and responsibilities of each person involved to avoid these risks.

Your Responsibilities

The plan that is undertaken should result in a safe system of work and it is the responsible person’s duty to ensure a written record, or Method Statement, is kept if lift becomes complicated in any way.

A safe system of work

Your method statement should include key aspects to avoid all foreseeable hazards, such as:

  • Site preparation, crane assembly and dismantling
  • Ensuring the choice of crane is suitable for the task being undertaken.
  • The provision of safe slinging and signalling arrangements.
  • A plan regarding the maintenance and examination of all equipment.
  • The provision of competent staff who have undergone the relevant training.
  • The supervision of the lift by someone with the required authority and training.
  • A plan to prevent unauthorised or unplanned use of the crane.
  • Safety measures in place for protecting people not involved in the lifting, who may be in the area.

Supervision of lifting

Depending on the type of lift being undertaken, the amount of possible risk and the level of competence of the workers involved, will dictate the level of training, competence and experience the person supervising the lift should have.

So for example, if the lift is particularly complicated the supervisor should have the authority to ensure it is carried out in line with the method statement and to stop the lift if it becomes too dangerous to proceed.

Available Training

The team at Health and Safety Training Ltd are widely experienced in providing training for a variety of mobile plant equipment. This includes training for overhead gantry cranes and lorry loaders that will ensure the operative has all the skills and knowledge they need to undertake even the most complex of lifts safely and legally.

We also offer slinger signaller training to ensure effective signalling that will direct the actions of crane operative, and risk assessment training to ensure your responsible person can undertake an effective risk assessment for formulating the method statement.

For any more information about the safe use of cranes and your duties, get in touch today.

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