Why You Need to Be Doing Regular Crane Maintenance

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Are you doing your best to keep your workers safe?

Regular crane maintenance is crucial for the safety of your employees. Like any large machine, a crane can wear down after a while.

Since cranes move very heavy objects, there are many parts that wear down quickly. This can cause materials to drop unexpectedly, and it puts your workers in danger.

There are many types of cranes out there, including wall cranes, gantry, semi-gantry, etc. However, all of them are exposed to the same risks.

If you want to find out more about crane maintenance, read on. We crafted a mini guide on what parts are more susceptible to risks and how often you need to check your crane.

The crane parts that are at high risk and daily inspections

They are a couple of daily inspections that you could do yourself to ensure the safety of your working site.

Some of the most important inspections that should be done daily are:

Look for maladjustments in the operating mechanisms.
Check the hydraulic and pneumatic parts for intense deterioration and leakage.
Look for cracks, crevices, and deformation in the hooks.
Look for any damage in the chains.

Safety concerns

Accidents provoked by faulty cranes are quite costly when it comes to equipment, materials, and injuries to your employees. You will also have to face the OSHA fines for not investing in your crane maintenance.

On top of the direct costs and the OSHA fines, you will also have to face the lawsuits from property owners and the families of your workers who have been injured.

Most of the time, these tragic events happen simply because the work personnel is not educated properly in handling cranes. Also, a lack of crane maintenance is also to blame.

One of the first steps you can take to improve the safety of your workers is to hire certified crane operators. Someone who does not know what they are doing when handling a crane could cause a lot of damage financially and ruin human lives.

How crane maintenance has changed over the years

An annual inspection is only the tip of the iceberg. Some inspections should be done daily while others periodically, such as electrical components, load indicators, brakes, etc.

Why has crane maintenance changed?

In the past cranes were made out of a strong alloy that was more resistant to heavier weights and mishandling.

Today, the materials used are not that strong and they cannot be abused as much as their older counterparts. Not to mention that many cranes, even the older ones, suffer from working decades in extreme temperatures. This can cause the cranes to lose structural strength and provoke a lot of damage.

Make sure a crane never lifts a heavier load than recommended.