Saturday, March 7, 2015

What To Expect From Tower Crane Inspections

By Leslie Ball


While there are many different kinds of cranes that exist, among those you will find in construction sites are the tower cranes. These are commonly seen in sites where tall buildings are being constructed. They assist in movement of loads by lifting, lowering, or moving the loads horizontally. However, they can experience malfunctions and technical problems that could trigger calamitous tragedies. In order to ensure smooth operations devoid of accidents or downtime in workflow, tower crane inspections Tennessee are needed.

It is pretty hard to miss one where there is a big construction project going on. These cranes could fail, malfunction, and cause calamitous accidents. The cranes are affixed to the ground at time of construction and remain there during the period of work. They are then removed after the projects or hauling work has been completed.

To ensure they are firm and stable, the cranes are mounted over very strong concretes pads and secured with anchor bolts embedded into the pad. Cranes owners are demanded to ensure safety in operations by inspecting, repairing, upgrading, and servicing the machines as desired. The complex parts and systems of these structures make them susceptible to failures.

Human errors could attribute to some of the shattering incidents of accidents witnessed in these sites. Properties may be damaged when the structure crumbles down. People are injured or killed by falling objects that detach from the slings or hooks. Due care should be exercised by operators as well the employees within the vicinity.

If there are overhead power lines, there is need to have clearance done from the lines. The rated load should always be maintained and no excess of loading, as this could cause accidents or further weaken the slings, wire ropes, and other structures. OSHA regulations are in place to be applied by cranes owners, the operators, contractors on site, and the employees.

When mounting those machines, engineers have to set them up on firm yet stable grounds. The grounds are tested to ensure they are firm and in case of bad weather, it will not compromise the operations and safety of such equipment. Cranes are not operated by any other person except the designated technicians who are qualified. Such operators have the knowledge of running cranes and in addition, they take part in inspections especially the daily checking of the mechanisms of operations.

Only designated operators who have thoroughly been screened should handle such machines. Besides, the operators should have the knowledge to inspect and check such equipment on daily basis to ensure their safety. When cranes are being fixed on ground, the ground is evaluated and studied properly to make sure it is firm and very stable to allow for stability of these machines. Many accidents that you see in cranes operation zones are associated with loads tripping off hooks or from the swings.

The owners have to evaluate the competency of operators to handle such duties. OSHA rules also demand that cranes are mounted properly on a firm and stable surface while ensuring that they are fitted at the right level to create balance and stability. During inspections, proper planning is needed and only experienced and certified inspection team should handle the tasks. Crane machines are available in different types and some inspectors may not be able to handle every other crane you find in construction sites. Only have the equipment handled by inspectors who have trained properly in such cranes.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment