Crane and Hoist Safety

Objectives
Know hazards associated with cranes
Become familiar with common types of
industrial and construction cranes
Understand rigging basics, including the
importance of sling angle
Be familiar with methods of controlling
crane hazards and preventing accidents

Outline
Crane Hazards
Crane types
Industrial cranes
Construction cranes
Rigging (including sling angle)

Controlling hazards

Inspections and training

Power lines
Equipment failure and crane stability
Other

Crane Hazards
Over 250,000 cranes in operation
125,000 in construction
80,000 general and maritime

80 fatalities per year

One death per thousand crane
operators in their working lifetime (45
years)
Risk to citizens and other workers

Crane Hazards
Major causes of crane accidents
Contact with energized power lines (45%
of accidents)
Under hook lifting device
Overturned cranes
Dropped loads
Boom collapse
Crushing by the counter weight
Improper outrigger use
Falls
Rigging failure

Crane Types
"Industrial cranes
Overhead
Gantry
Jib

"Construction cranes
Mobile
Tower
Derricks

Industrial Cranes
Overhead Cranes
Common in industrial facilities
Supported by overhead rails
Components
Bridge
Trolley
Hoist
Often pendant or remote operated
Easy to use, little training required, no
stability problems

Industrial Cranes
Gantry cranes

Similar to overhead
cranes, but supported by
a mobile frame which
travels on the ground
Small (1000 10,000 pound
capacity) gantry crane
Large (600 ton capacity)
gantry crane

Industrial Cranes
Jib cranes
Pivot mounted
boom with trolley
and hoist

Floor-mounted
jib crane
Wall-mounted jib crane

Industrial Cranes
Power hoist
Usually electric
or air operated

Chain hoist (or

"chain fall")
Hand operated

Construction cranes
Tower
cranes
Variable
height
climbing
cranes
Used for
building
construction

Construction cranes
Mobile cranes
Crawler cranes
Truck cranes
Hydraulic cranes
Boom telescopes
May have jib

Equipped with
outriggers for stability

Hydraulic
Cranes

Hydraulic Cranes

Construction cranes
Derricks
Boom angle
changes to adjust
horizontal distance
Often used in
shipyards, building
construction, etc.

Gin pole
Chicago boom
Stiff-leg
Etc.

Mine-shaft rescue using a

gin pole derrick improvised
from an extension ladder
Stiff-leg construction derrick

Hay derrick

Rigging
Wire rope

Usually a "core" member to

increase flexibility
Fiber Core (FC)
Wire Strand Core (WSC)
Independent Wire-rope Core
(IWRC)

Classified by strand and wire

count

6 x 31 IWRC is common rope for

overhead cranes, with 6 strands
of 31 wires each and a core

Rigging
Fittings, sheaves
Shackles
Blocks
Sockets
Hooks
May have safety
latch

Eyes
Turnbuckles

Rigging
Always use rigging to connect the load to the
hook
Materials
Wire rope
Fabric
Chain

Slings

Straight (regular)
Choker
Basket
Double, triple, etc.

Rigging
Sling angle
Stress on sling legs
varies with the angle
Divide the load by the
number of sling legs,
and divide by sin of
2000 lbs
the angle

For a two-legged sling,

2000 lb load and 60
degree, stress = 1155
lbs on the sling leg

2 legs

1
1155 lbs

sin 60
leg

2000 lbs
1
2000 lbs

2 legs sin 30
leg

Controlling Crane Hazards

Operators

18 years old
Physical exam
Knowledge (training)
Estimating load
weight
Signals
Operation
Skill (demonstration)

Controlling Crane Hazards

Inspection

Frequent
Daily, monthly
Hooks, rope, crane operation
Periodic
At least annually
Complete inspection - wear, damage,
deterioration, operation
slings

Testing
Records

Preventing Crane Accidents

Contact with energized power
lines (45% of accidents)

De-energize lines
Maintain minimum distance
10 feet distance for 50 kv
Over 50 kv, add 4 inches per 10 kv
Use proximity alarms
Warn when energized line is near
No fatalities in 25 years,
according to mfg.
Warning signs
I-15 construction in SLC was a
good example

Warning label

Preventing Crane Accidents

Under hook lifting device problems
Inspect, proper use, etc.

Overturned cranes

Assure a level and stable base for the

crane
Comply with load charts
Weight
Boom angle and extension
Only vertical loads
Wind can cause a significant side load

Load Chart
Load charts
inside the cab
include
Structural
capacity and
tipping limits for
the crane
Capacity is
highest for short
radius over
front loads with
outriggers
extended.

Load Chart
Rear Over
Radi
us

18.8'
Boom

24'
Boom

65,600*

57,250*

56,510*

10

50,760*

49,230*

12

44,970

15
18
20

Over Side
29.8'
Boom

18.8'
Boom

24'
Boom

Over Front
29.8'
Boom

65,600*

18.8'
Boom

24'
Boom

29.8'
Boom

66,720*

57,250*

56,510*

61,150*

56,510*

47,060*

50,760*

49,230*

47,060*

52,520*

49,230*

47,060*

43,250*

41,310*

45,540*

43,250*

41,310*

46,390*

43,250*

41,310*

33,180

33,290

33,350

39,370

37,090

35,080

39,620

37,090

35,080

25,960

26,250

26,310

27,540

28,370

28,490

27,540

32,471

30,730

22,940

23,010

22,910

23,030

29,820

28,430

25

16,910

15,330

23,770

29

13,030

11,870

16,750

Preventing Crane Accidents

Dropped loads
Operating anti-two block device (upper limit switch)
Proper rigging
Inspection

Boom collapse

Inspection
Stable base
No overloading
No horizontal loading

Crushing by the counter weight

Stay away from the rear of the crane

Preventing Crane Accidents

Proper outrigger use
Level
Fully extended
Stable base
Use cribbing to
distribute the load

Outrigger Use

Outrigger
with
cribbing

Preventing Crane Accidents

Rigging failure
Inspection
Proper use
temperature, angles, etc.

Falls
Fall protection for workers
suspended by crane "man basket"
or "suspended work platform
Secure fall protection above the
hook