Crane Safety: Overhead Crane Dos and Don’ts and Six Misconceptions on Crane Safety

Crane safety dos and don’ts for overhead crane operation and 6 crane safety misconceptions for you to observe your overhead crane operation to ensure your crane safety.

Overhead Crane Safety: Overhead Crane Dos and Don’ts

Overhead crane  application and operation safey 

During overhead crane operation, the Dos and Don’ts should be bear in mind, which is closely connected with overhead crane safety and performances. The overhead crane operation rules should be bear in mind for the overhead crane safety to prevent crane accidents. It is the duty for every crane operator and every worker to be conscious of the overhead crane limitations and potential dangers. Therefore, in the following, the general dos and don’ts of overhead cranes are presented for the sake of your crane safety.
Dos for overhead crane operation

• Do aware of the overhead crane load limit and rated load capacity. The load limit of the overhead crane is the maximum rated load of the overhead crane. And the overloading of overhead crane limit and rated capacity of the overhead crane can be resulting in the serious crane accidents.
• Do make the crane operator trained. The crane operator should be trained and qualified to operate the overhead crane.
• Do point a signaler to communicate the crane operator during operation. The crane signaler has to communicate with the crane operator efficiently with hand signals, radio and other ways.
• Do have a way of direct communication which enable workers on the floor or ground to talk with the crane operator, which may avoid miscommunication and improve crane safety by alerting the crane operator when the occurring of the crane emergency or the potential emergency.
• Do have supervisors who supervises the crane operation. Any mis-or-improper operation or operations that may result in danger should be timely stopped and warn the crane operator or the related working staffs.
• Do have the foremen, supervisors and other crane related workers trained.

Don’ts for overhead crane operation

• Don’t let personal who are not familiar or not qualified to operate the overhead crane.
• Don’t let unqualified personnel to communicate with the crane operator because wrong or unclear hand signals may result in serious crane accidents.
• Don’t rely on one way such as hand signals to communicate with the crane operator. Hand signals are slow and may cause confusing for new or inexperienced workers when emergency occurs.
• It’s prohibited to let people ride on the crane which could easily fall and get injured unless it has attachments or devices designed specifically to lift or transport people.
• Don’t over load the rated capacity of the overhead crane. Even the slightly overloading is dangerous which may resulting in serious crane accidents and injuries.
• Do not do anything that will distract your attention.
• Do not lift, lower, or transport a load with the crane or hoist until all working staffs are out of the load and the load’s path.
• Do not transport persons by the overhead crane, hoist, trolley , hoist hook, or load.
• Do not hang loads over persons.
• Do not use the primary upper limit devices as an operation limit with other operation limits available.

Don’t neglect any crane safety and proper crane operation rules or regulations or constructions.

Six Misconception on Overhead Crane Safety

Overload

Various crane safety measures are installed on the overhead crane, therefore I do not need to worry about the overloading of the overhead crane.

Facts: It is the most dangerous misconceptions about overhead crane.

• Even though there are built in safety factors in some parts of overhead crane, the safety of the whole system of the overhead crane cannot be guaranteed under overloading.
• The safety factor of the building where the overhead crane are installed cannot be guaranteed under overloading.
• It is also important to know that not all the electric hoists are equipped with overload protection system.
• Misuse and mis operation can lead to the crane accidents.

Upper limit switch

When I lift, I need the height I can get, so I must lift until I hit the upper limit switch.
Facts:

• The upper limit switch is a hoist is designed to prevent the hook assembly from colliding with the drum, which is a safety devices but not an operation device.
•  If the ultimate supper switch fails, the hook block and the drum will collide and the wire rope probably will fail, dropping the load.
• The operational upper limit switch will be installed with a second switch which is wire in a fail-safe mode. If you don’t wire it in the way, you won’t be able to tell when the first switch has failed until they both fail and the overhead crane drops the load.

Secondary braking

Misconception: All hoists have a secondary brake, so I can work underneath a load without fear of injury.

Fact:

• The misconception on overhead crane is terribly dangerous. The primary and a secondary brake are required to be installed on the overhead crane. When the first braking failed, the secondary brake, which is a mechanical load brake will generates a lot of heat and usually isn’t used for applications with more 30 tons or for high usage applications of any capacity.
• The critical fact about a regenerative brake is that it does not hold the load in the event of primary brake failure, but rather will lower the load at its normal operating speed.
• You should never stand under a loaded hoist. Doing so will definitely "split your skull," whether the load is free-falling or falling at a so-called "controlled speed."

Reverse plugging speed control

Misconception: When the crane is travelling in one direction, the easiest way for me to control velocity is to press the revers button.

Fact:

In the old days, reverse plugging speed control was a reasonable method to control speed however for modern motors and contactors which are much more compact, and heat means premature component failure.
With more advanced design, the reverse plugging is no longer an option because the modern motors has various ways of soft star and soft stop, usually with variable AC inverters. You can push the reverse button all you want, but until the crane comes to a complete stop, the reverse button does not work.

Daily inspections

Misconception: The overhead crane worked yesterday, so it will work today.

Fact:Daily inspection is the simplest but most overlooked role of crane operation. The daily inspection is simple a commonsense check list which should go through at the beginning of each shit.

• Look. Take a quick survey of the area. Are the crane in operable condition? Have any parts fallen to the floor? Is anything hanging? Are there any signs of collisions or damage?
• Listen. Starting the hoist. Any unusual sounds is heard when it hits the upper limit switch or when it is lowered to the ground? Does the trolley and bridge movement sound right during operation? And any other sounds.
• Document. On the daily inspection sheet, check off that the crane looks and sound operational and that is performed normally. Write your initials afterwards.

Safety tips for your EOT cranes

Crane safety overview is for you to ensure the safety of your overhead crane, gantry crane, jib crane, workstation crane. Tips on crane safety control, safety devices, operational safety, crane inspection and maintenance, crane accidents and crane risk analysis and preventive measure, and crane factory visiting safety, etc., are for your reference.

Crane safety control and safety devices

1. Overhead crane safety: Bridge Crane, Eot and overhead crane travelling crane safety
2. Double girder overhead crane safety control
3. Overhead crane safety tips and 6 misconception on Overhead crane safety
4. Crane Safety: Overhead Crane Safety Devices
5. Which parts of your overhead crane need safety protection devices?
6. How to Ensure Overhead Crane Safety | Dongqi Crane Safety
7. Gantry Crane basic: Gantry crane windproof anchor devices
   
8. Crane brakes, crane brake parts and crane brake system

Operational safety

1. Crane Operation Risk Analysis- Dongqi Crane Safety
2. Gantry Crane Operation Precautions

Crane inspection and maintenance

1. Overhead and Gantry Crane Safety and Inspection Requirements
2. Overhead Cranes: Crane Daily Inspection and Crane Maintenance
3. Bridge crane inspection and maintenance ensure your bridge crane safety
4. Crane parts scrapped standards: When to replace your crane parts?

Crane accident rish analysis and preventive measures

1. Crane accidents and crane safety measures for overhead crane, gantry crane, jib crane
2. Eot crane safety: Danger of overhead crane overload
   How to prevent crane collapse
3. Hoist Cranes Safety Measures under Dust, Humid, Hot and Cold Conditions

Crane repair and maintenances

1. Crane Maintenance Basic: Crane Maintenance Procedures
2. Crane lubrication: manual crane lubrication or centralized crane lubrication?
3. Overhead Crane Camber Deformation and Restoration
4. Crane Repair and Overhead Crane Safety Tips from Overhead Crane Engineer, Informative and Practical
5. Crane Gearbox Leak Causes and Control Methods
6. Rail gnawing prevention for industrial crane safety

Visiting safety

1. Crane Factory Visiting Safety Guide - Crane safety for visitors

If have any problem on crane safty, please feel free to contact us. Email: sales@cranesdq.com. WhatsApp/ WeChat: +86 150 3617 7583. Dongqi will assure you the safety of your overhead crane, gantry crane, jib crane, etc.

Dongqi safe eot crane offering

Single girder overhead crane offering

Double girder overhead crane

Make your overhead crane safer

Overhead crane: S= Crane Span, H= Lifting height

In order to give you suitable overhead crane safety solution promptly, please help our overhead crane engineer to confirm the following information as much as possible:

1. Types of overhead crane: (Single or double girder? European type or Common one? )
2. Capacity:
3. Span:
4. Height of Lift:
5. Power supply: (3phase? Voltage? Hz?)
6. Bay/ Travelling Length:
7. Quantity:
8. Operation: Through Pendant/Radio Remote/Cabin Control
9. Indoor/Outdoor:
10. Application (What are you planning to lift) :
11. Environment (Normal/ hazardous) :
12. Building drawing if possible:
13. Location:
14. Industry type: (Eg: Auto, steel, sugar, stone, etc)
15. Rail Existing/New: (Size in case of Existing)
16. Number of Cranes in bay:
17. Existing Structure/New Structure:
18. Your full company address and contact details:

If you do not know about how to solve your overhead crane problems, please feel free to leave us a message or email to sales@cranesdq.com. WhatsApp/ WeChat: +86 150 3617 7583. The reply of our overhead crane engineer will be given within 24 hours. Get your custom overhead crane solutions.