Operating cranes in icy conditions can be a perilous process. However, there are plenty of safety measures that can be taken to help those involved in the use of this equipment to avoid injury. Here are two such safety measures.
Give the spot where the crane will be releasing the bundle of materials a wide berth
When a crane operator lowers this equipment's arm and releases the bundle of materials that it was carrying, the labourers who are on the ground and are waiting to collect these materials will usually gather around the spot where this bundle is going to be dropped so that they can quickly pick up the items that they need and get to work. However, if the ground where the crane will be dropping these items is coated in ice, these individuals should give this spot a very wide berth and should ensure that there are no other fragile materials nearby.
The reason for this is that any load that is being held up by the arm of a crane will usually sway a bit whilst it is being lowered to the ground. If this happens when the ground in question has a coating of ice on top of it, the load (which is usually comprised of some very heavy goods) could slide from the spot where it was first placed and skid towards a person or some fragile goods and injure or break them, respectively. The risk of this happening is particularly high in situations where the crane needs to place the load on the high end of a slope (even a gentle one), as gravity could also cause the load to slide away from the area where the crane operator first placed it.
By staying several metres away from the bundle of materials whilst they are being placed on the ground, the workers will have plenty of time to move out of the way if it starts sliding toward them.
Use access equipment if the crane's elevated arm needs to be fixed
Sometimes, if the elevated arm of a crane develops a fault, the operator will clamber up the crane in order to repair it. This is a highly dangerous thing to do in any type of weather. However, it is particularly risky when it is cold enough for ice to form on the surface of the crane, as this ice on the equipment's components will make it almost impossible for the operator to grip them. This could cause them to slide off the elevated arm and land at the base of the crane, several metres below it. This accident could leave them with numerous internal injuries.
Conversely, if they use a cherry picker or another type of access equipment to reach and repair the faulty elevated arm, their safety won't depend on their ability to hold onto any incredibly slippery surfaces and they will be much more likely to emerge from this repair process unharmed.
For more information on cranes, contact a crane hire company.
