Industry News
2023-04-12 17:45:41
Overhead traveling crane overload means a situation that crane system lifts something heavy even exceeding the crane’s rated capacity. There is no doubt that it is a violation of OSHA and ASME B30 regulations and it creates very dangerous situations. Overloads can stress and damage equipment, putting your workers in imminent danger. The practice can be especially threatening when working with older cranes, which may not have today’s more modern safety devices to prevent misuse with over capacity lifts. Most modern bridge cranes have devices that help prevent overload-related accidents by helping to ensure that cranes do not lift beyond their rated capacities.
Regardless of types, all overload protective devices work by sensing the force of the load. When the load exceeds a preset percentage of rated capacity (usually 100 to 125 percent), the overload protective device temporarily inhibits the hoist so that the crane can only lower the load.
Properly trained operators who understand the dangers of overloading are really the most effective way to prevent accidents, but protection devices are highly recommended for added security. If your business is operating with older cranes that may not have overload protection built in to them, you should strongly consider a retrofit. Hoosier Crane can help you with these modifications.
In fact, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration claims that four out of every five crane upsets and/or structural failures are caused by overloading which can be traced to human error. It’s more impossible to avoid overloading for crane operators to know more about overloading scenarios. The most commonly-seen crane overloading scenarios are:
You might wonder why overloading crane accidents happen so frequently given that the capacity of each crane is required by OSHA to be displayed on the equipment. In some cases, the warning label is so worn or frayed as to be unhelpful, so operators “guesstimate” the capacity based on other cranes they’ve operated. But in other instances, operators use the rated capacity as a guideline rather than a maximum and rely on their instincts to load their cranes. It’s also not uncommon for operators to forget to verify their load’s weight before hoisting it – especially when they see neatly-bundled supplies that must be moved immediately.
Sometimes, crane operators fail to use the proper amount of counterweights for a particular load, which can be enough to topple a crane even if the load isn’t especially heavy. This mistake and others tend to be more likely when the operator is tired and/or at the end of their shift.
It’s also essential that every crane undergoes periodic inspection and testing to ensure that all of the components are in good working order. A good rule of thumb is to perform load testing whenever modifying a crane or overhauling its load-bearing parts.
Decades ago, crane operators had to rely on load charts to determine the capacity of their equipment. They also had to compute measurements like the radius, boom angle, and boom length in order to arrive at a reliable weight figure.
Nowadays, most cranes come with advanced technology which can make these calculations automatically. For example, a load moment indicator (LMI) can display the weight of a load as a percentage of the crane’s maximum capacity while also accounting for external factors like wind, rain, or boom torque.
In addition, a rated capacity indicator (RCI) measures the tension of the hoist rope to help determine whether a specific load exceeds the equipment’s capacity. A rate capacity limiter (RCL) is like an RCI but also has the ability to stop the crane from operating when a load is too heavy.
These high-tech devices are only as good as the data that is input by operators or construction supervisors. Plus, LMIs and RCIs may not be sufficient to warn operators of an impending accident if safe loading and hoisting practices aren’t observed.
The pressure on businesses to compete and be more productive can sometimes create unsafe situations. When workers are rushed, they may skip important safety procedures and they may try to stretch the limits of the crane equipment they are using. One of the many areas that must be addressed to maintain safe work environments is protection against overloads
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