Four Fundamental Precautions for Safe Pick-and-Carry Crane Operations

If you are planning on handling pick-and-carry operations for a construction or industrial project, you should plan on acquiring a reliable mobile crane such as a Franna. In general, these types of equipment are designed to handle relatively long distances. This means that if you have a good pick-and-carry crane, you will not need to acquire a truck or other additional vehicles to handle loads. You can simply depend on the crane for moving items from one worksite to another. Here are tips on operating the equipment safely.

Check Lifting Capacity

The maximum capacity is an important consideration when using a mobile crane, particularly for longer-distance haulage. In simple terms, you should keep in mind that the crane will experience some strain while moving the loads along roads and between job sites. If the weight rating is exceeded, there will be significant risk of equipment damage. The crane could also fail during transit, leading to a road accident. Therefore, you should check on the manufacturer's ratings before hiring the equipment and adhere to the indicated limits.

Evaluate the Weather

It is not advisable to handle pick-and-carry operations with a mobile crane in adverse weather. Unfavourable conditions will affect the safe and efficient function of the crane. For instance, if there are high winds, the load will be destabilised. This could put a lot of mechanical stress on the lifting components of the equipment. As a result, the crane could fail to move as expected, causing complications. Therefore, check the weather forecast before beginning your crane work.

Plan for Proper Loading

Proper loading of the mobile crane is crucial for safe operations. If the loads are not placed on the equipment in the correct manner, there will be inefficiencies while travelling. This could result in more risks on the road. One of the issues that you should address when loading and moving is the boom length. Under normal circumstances, pick-and-carry cranes should only handle long-distance haulage when the boom is at minimum length. Otherwise, the rig will be unstable.

Inspect the Ground

Finally, you should inspect the ground before proceeding with your lifting and hauling operation. This is crucial because the ground conditions will influence the stability of the equipment and efficiency of handling. Mobile cranes should be operated on flat and dry roads. If you would like to guarantee safe travel,, you should conduct a pre-inspection of the road and map out the best route. 

To learn more, contact a crane hire company in your area.