Crane safety is an important subject that deserves the attention of not only crane operators, but also those who work in the surrounding area. Implementing administrative controls related to the operation and safety of cranes can help to prevent a variety of different types of hazards. Administrative controls will help crane operators to better communicate with people in the area, especially signalers and others who are working directly with the crane.
Examples of Administrative Controls for Crane Safety
Administrative controls refer to any policies or procedures related to how people work with, or interact with, the operation of a crane. This wouldn’t be things like making sure the crane is in good working order. The most common type of administrative controls to be aware of are hand signals. This is when someone near the area where the load is located communicates with the crane operator using hand signals.
The signaler has to be able to watch not only how the crane is interacting with the load, but also how the crane itself is positioned in the overall environment. For example, they would watch to make sure the crane isn’t getting close to electrical wires, scaffolding, or other obstacles. Of course, the crane operator will also be watching for this type of thing, but they may have their visibility obstructed, or their attention focused on the load being lifted.
Hazards Minimized by Administrative Controls
Having these types of controls in place will help the crane operator to safely perform their task with the confidence that they have additional team members assisting them. This is especially important in environments where there are significant obstacles and hazards present. The controls will provide additional safeguards against making some very significant mistakes including having the crane line get tangled, dragging or pushing the load, or having the crane structure hit another object.
The specific administrative controls used in a given situation will vary significantly based on the environment, the type of crane being used, where the load has to be moved to and from, and more. Taking the time to come up with the proper controls will help to maximize crane safety in the workplace.
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