Just like operating any sort of industrial equipment involved in lifting, operating a crane can be dangerous. There are particular legal requirements that must be followed by crane operators and owners. Before you even use a crane, certain safety precautions should be taken to assure safety in the work environment. Lastly, you should fully understand the risks, as well as how to plan out a job involving a crane. Here, we will look at all these topics and much more.

Legal Requirements

There are quite a few legal requirements for crane operators in the UK. These include:

• Cranes and slings must be examined, inspected, and tested before use.
• The entire job involving the crane must be planned by someone with adequate experience and knowledge in the area.
• Supervision of the job is a legal requirement, as well. The supervisor should also be experienced in operating and working with cranes.
• A method statement of the plan, if the lift is one that is very complicated or unique.
• Failure to follow any of these laws could result in a fine, or even much worse. Do not take this risk.

Creating a Safe Environment

Before ever using a crane, you should do your best to create a safe working environment for the lift. Select the proper machinery for the job. Make sure that your equipment has been inspected and the logs are up to date. Also be sure that you have the right personnel on hand to supervise and operate your equipment. Be sure that the site is prepped appropriately. Keep everyone not involved in the job at a safe distance. Long before the lift you should think about training employees, if needed. Protrainers can certainly help with this.

Risks & the Importance of Planning

We certainly cannot stress just how important it is to properly plan for and follow the plan for crane jobs. We also want to be sure that you fully understand the risks of using a crane on your site. Both the company you get the crane from, as well as you, have certain legal responsibilities to fulfil. When you plan, you can prevent the two major causes of death and injuries on worksites while using cranes: collapse of the machinery itself, as well as dropping the load from the sling. Doing this can make all the difference for your business and employees.