If you are a crane operator or looking to rent a crane in Sydney, you will be responsible to command the crane and perform heavy lifts. Once you decide to contact a crane rental company, you need to ensure that you know enough about your safety as well as others’, and how to best handle the hired crane. It is very important to stay up-to-date with regulations, best practices, and safety guidelines relating to crane operations in NSW. St. George Cranes, being one of the leading crane hire companies in Sydney, has put together few tips for operating cranes.
- Capacity
It’s important to know the capacity of the crane in operation, if you are not sure, talk to your crane rental company to get the best advice for which crane is best for your application, as you can choose from a range of mobile cranes, including mini cranes, pick-n-carry cranes, tight-access cranes, all-terrain cranes among many others. You can expect severe problems if you overload the crane.
- Potential Hazards
You need to be aware of overhead hazards, as nearby assets could be within your operating zone due to the way cranes move, putting nearby buildings and power lines as potential hazards.
- Load Charts
These should be carefully read before starting the crane to ensure you will be in control.
- Distractions
Minimise any distractions as if you were driving a car, including mobile phone usage, eating, drinking, …
- Changed Conditions
Check if there are any changing conditions on the job site where your crane is operating, even the smallest change can affect your operation, including weather or personnel changes.
- Adapt
Generally, it’s good to have a plan, however those might probably have to change or adapt, which means you might need to stop to analyse the situation in order to find the safest lift plan before proceeding with the job.
- Ground Conditions
Before setup, ground conditions should be thoroughly checked to ensure a site can support a crane along with the suspended loads.
- Pads & Cribbing
A good crane operator should ensure the usage of appropriate pads and cribbing is in place to avoid having an outrigger fail or sink in the middle of a lift.
- The Basics
Just like driving a car, when you hire a crane you also need to check gas, oil and other fluid levels. While these seem obvious, they are often missed.
- Inspection
You need to go for a trusted crane rental company, as this ensures it regularly inspects its equipment before leasing a crane, including mechanical, electrical, structural, or hydraulic issues.
Ready to hire your next crane? Talk to the specialists at St George Crane Rentals, or check our range of cranes online.