allen TRTP275, Operations & Parts Manual

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09/2018 - 275 Page 45
SECTION 1
SAFETY
Transportation Safety (cont’d)
Lifting
4. Plan for swing. The counterweight and boom travel within a specific arc that’s called the swing radius. It’s important to
ensure that the area within that radius is barricaded off, and to establish a control zone for those authorized to work in the
immediate area. Also check the area every day to ensure that there are no objects the boom might strike, such as power
lines. If such obstacles exist, be sure that the operator and other workers are aware of the plan for avoiding them.
5. Use cranes properly. Cranes are engineered for vertical lifting. That doesn’t stop some crews from trying to use them for
side loading or other improper activities. Using a crane to drag something across the ground or from under an obstacle puts
extreme stress on the boom, the turntable, and all the structural members. It could potentially weaken key components and
lead to their failure. If someone on the site has used a crane improperly, be sure to inspect it thoroughly to ensure that its
integrity has not been impaired.
6. Stay in touch. Whether you use radios, air horns, or hand signals, there needs to be clear communication between the
operator and the other workers. That’s especially critical when a crane is making a lift in which the operator cannot see
the load, such as when air handling equipment is being delivered through an opening on another side of a structure. Don’t
assume that everyone knows how instructions will be communicated. Follow OSHA’s specific guidelines, and make sure
that everyone on the site knows exactly what each signal means.
7. Pay attention. Everyone associated with a crane needs to stay alert and focused on the job at hand – especially on critical
or difficult lifts.
8. Avoid man-baskets. Sometimes it looks like the easiest way to put employees where they’re needed is to lift a man-bas -
ket to the work area. However, that approach creates hazards that must be tested and addressed before work begins, such
as providing proper fall protection, verifying basket capacity, and checking that the basket is properly attached. In addition,
the safety of the employees in the basket is entirely dependent on the skill of the operator, and a simple mistake could have
tragic consequences. Before using a man-basket, consider whether an articulating boom lift or a scissor lift might provide
a safer alternative.
9. Don’t use cranes for storage. In areas where site security is a concern, it’s not unusual to see laborers end the workday
by attaching a compressor or similar piece of equipment to the crane and suspending it for safekeeping. It’s a common
practice, but one that’s very risky. In addition to the danger that someone could walk beneath it, a strong wind could cause
the load to sway – perhaps to the point of toppling the crane. But an even better reason not to do this is that most of today’s
newer cranes are hydraulically-operated. A small leak anywhere in the system will eventually reduce the hydraulic pressure
to the point where the boom will drop, and the suspended load will fall on whatever is below it – maybe a more expensive
piece of equipment.
10. Start with a plan. Each lift is different from another, and it’s important to review load weight capacities, the integrity of
the equipment, the possible effect of wind, and other factors. The operator, riggers, and other workers involved with the lift
should be part of that planning process.