Cranes are complex pieces of machinery that, when operated correctly, can save massive amounts of labour time, and effort for a vast range of sectors.
Yet many forms of hazards can arise from their use, so it is important for any crane operator to be familiar with a crane’s controls, its limits, and operational guidelines to avoid these hazards.
The most common hazards of crane use include overloading of cranes and materials falling/slipping from grabs and hoists.
According to Safety Now IFT, just over half of all fatal crane injuries involved the worker being struck by an object or equipment. Around three-fifths of these cases (91 of 154) involved a worker being hit by a falling object or piece of equipment; in 79 of these cases, the worker was struck by an object falling from or put in motion by a crane.
Many of these accidents can arise from incorrect crane operation, which is why the safety training is so important in ensuring that crane operators are competent and qualified to do the job.
At JT Cranes, we run through a handover and crane familiarisation when a customer purchases a new crane. These crane safety briefings are important to ensure the operators follow the correct guidelines for safe operation of the crane – thus avoiding accidents and hazards.
Here, we cover what happens after a customer purchases a mini crane from us, and some of the key safety and familiarisation training used when handing over a new crane to a customer.
Before we hand over your new crane, we undertake a thorough pre-delivery inspection, which includes a visual walk-through of the crane, and a set of operational tests. This inspection ensures that the crane is in 100% perfect condition before being handed over to you.
When we are satisfied with the PDI, we then arrange to go through our Driver Crane Familiarisation Operation Safety Training with you. The safety briefing and familiarisation is designed to enable the crane operator to understand the functions as well as the proper and safe use of the specified crane.
Each point of the safety training is explained by a competent individual to the intended crane operator, who should also indicate that they have received the training and understood what has been explained.
The process follows a set structure and is completed in writing at the time when the training and familiarisation takes place, or shortly thereafter.
Crane safety training explained
The crane safety training delivered by JT Cranes consists of a multipoint process, whereby every key feature of the crane is described and guidelines for its operation are explained.
Here we cover a few of the essential ones.
The safety training starts with a general orientation walk round of the crane, including an explanation of the features and all the warning decals displayed on it.
As with any powered vehicle, it’s important to keep an eye on all gauges and respond with appropriate action to any warning light. Knowing what each gauge and warning light is indicating is vital for correct crane operations.
Every crane is designed to lift a Maximum Rated Load (also called Maximum Rated Capacity). This MRL depends on different crane configurations, because the lift capacity varies depending on the distance and the angle of the lift, and covers the full weight lifted by the crane.
Crane operators must know how to calculate a crane’s lifting capabilities using a rated load chart. This ensures that the crane does not exceed its lifting capacity.
The fly jib allows the crane operator to lift a load and then place it into a specific target area. Fly jibs are often used to lift materials on a multi-story construction site to height and place them inside the building. Crane operators must know the correct and safe procedure for attaching, operating, and detaching the fly jib as required.
On completion of your driver familiarisation, you will receive a safety and information manual specific to your crane for you to refer to at any time.
When you buy a crane from JT Cranes, your safe operation of the crane is a major priority for us.
That’s why every crane we supply is accompanied by our multipoint safety training process, ensuring that your crane operators know are familiar with the functions, and, most importantly, with the safe and proper procedures for operating the crane.
Ryan Skelton, of Greenworx, said of the driver familiarisation training;
“It was super informative and covered everything our team needed to know in order to use the JF545 V-MAX safely. All of the bases and functions of the crane to ensure we had all the information needed before taking the crane away. It’s also great to know that Wayne and the rest of the JTC team is on the end of the phone, if we do need help.”
For more information about our mini cranes, or aftersales service and support, or anything else, please call us on 01767 677155. Alternatively, you can contact us via info@jtcranes.co.uk.