Operating a crane is a team effort. It requires accuracy, precision and patience. After all, cranes carry heavy loads and no one wants an accident to occur. Safety is, and always should be, a chief concern of all involved with cranes. Those working with cranes need to be qualified and competent.
What are some roles during crane operations?
Crane Owner
First, there’s the crane owner. This person or company owns the crane and knows it well. An owner provides a crane that meets a user’s needs regarding configuration and capacity. The owner provides load rating charts, diagrams and technical info when needed. Inspections, testings, and maintenance are typically done by the owner.
Crane User
Next, there’s the crane user. This person or company arranges for the crane to end up where it’ll be used. The user is the caretaker of the crane while “on site.” A crane user has a lot of duties, most of which include ensuring things such as 1) is the crane in proper operating condition? 2) is the crane operating according to manufacturer’s requirements and worksite regulations? and 3) is the crane in compliance with requirements of the current ASME volume? Some of these duties may be shared with the site supervisor. Sometimes the user and supervisor are one in the same. The site supervisor makes sure the crane is properly rigged, while also dealing with requirements, inspections, regulations and other things to ensure success. For example, a site supervisor has to know details like, “How are the access roads?”; “How are we going to deal with bad weather?”; and “What are ground conditions like at the site?”
Lift Director
Finally, the role of lift director involves oversight of the work being performed directly by the crane and its associated rigging crew. If something is unsafe, he or she makes the call to halt operations. A lift director is going to make sure the area where people will be working has been prepared for the work to commence. Are necessary traffic controls in place? Do workers understand what they’ve got to do and what hazards might be involved? A lift director is going to appoint signal people, monitor riggers, and, ultimately, ensure a load is properly rigged and balanced.
As you can see, a lot goes into operating a crane. If you need to rent a crane in the New England area, contact Astro Crane today.
