Critical Safety Considerations For Your First-Time Crane Truck Rental

Posted on: 23 October 2020

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The mobility that crane trucks offer makes them some of the most convenient and flexible pieces of heavy construction equipment. In addition to their high load capacities, the right crane truck will ease the transportation of building supplies around your construction site. However, if you have recently ventured into construction, you likely do not have the capital to buy the different types of equipment that your projects require outright. Fortunately, equipment rental providers ease this financial burden for you, but you need to make sure that you know what you are doing when hiring the machinery. Firstly, you must request a licensed crane operator for professional equipment handling. Secondly, here are a few critical safety considerations to adhere to for your first-time crane truck rental.

Ascertain the specific job requirements

Before the crane truck can be employed, it is essential for you to examine the site's unique challenges so that you can determine how best to carry out the project at hand. A few of the various factors that need to be taken into account include clearances for the truck crane, proximity to power lines, access to the various locations on-site, heaviest loads the crane truck will need to accommodate and so on. Knowing all these requirements beforehand will go a long way in helping you and the crane operator plan judiciously for the project.

Routine hazard assessments

A mistake some newbies to heavy construction make is presuming that one pre-project site inspection will suffice, but this is far from the truth. What you should note is that safety hazards can arise at any time during the project. And when you take into consideration the fact that each passing day will change the logistics of the site, you will realise that you must stay on top of these modifications. For example, you may carry out the initial inspection with a building on the lot, but if you demolish the property during site preparation, a new set of hazards will crop up. Staying on top of all site-related changes and performing regular hazard assessments will not only help with keeping the crane truck and operator safe, but also all construction workers and potential bystanders will be secure too.

Maintain secure ground conditions

The third safety consideration is making sure that the conditions on the ground are conducive for crane truck operation. To begin with, it is critical to take steps towards increasing the stability of the crane for enhanced safety. For example, to improve the stabilisation of the crane's outrigger pads, you can place cribbing strategically for increased support. Moreover, it is essential for all staff on-site, from the operators to the construction workers, to wear safety workwear at all times, such as high-visibility vests for easy spotting.