CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NOV 2018

LIFTING SAFETY

Johnson Crane Hire trains its operators in terms of fall-arrest practices.

A ccording to Cedric Froneman, Johnson Crane Hire’s executive for safety, health, environment and quality (SHEQ), there are unique risks facing crane crews due to the height of most mobile cranes being less than 4 m from the ground, often with inadequate anchor points available. “There are unique challenges when dealing with large mobile cranes, leading to a fall factor of two – signifying the most dangerous level – for the crane crew moving around on top of a machine,” says Froneman. “Compared to a fall factor of zero, where the workman’s lanyard can be attached to an anchor Construction regulations demand that measures be put in place to address the risk of falling from height, but the mobile crane segment has particular needs that require users, manufacturers and even regulators to consider. Unique fall protection challenges for mobile cranes

point above their head, most mobile cranes only have attachment points at waist level or even sometimes only at feet level.” Given the relatively low height of some mobile cranes, it is also possible that anyone falling may reach the ground before the shock absorbing lanyard can take their weight, essentially providing no fall protection. “So, we can’t rely on the fall-arrest principle,” he says. “We rather need to focus on fall-restraint systems, and this relies largely on the crane original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to put systems in place on the mobile crane to stop the workman from falling in the first place.”

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS NOVEMBER 2018 24