Cranes are dangerous pieces of equipment if not used carefully. Operating a crane and other plant machinery has many hazards and risks. To minimise these risks, it is essential to ensure that both your experienced and new employees learn how to safely operate a crane.

Provide Necessary Training Programmes On How To Safely Operate A Crane

Before sending your employees out on site, you must ensure that your employees are confident, competent and certified in lifting operations.

There is a wide range of training courses and programmes available at reasonable prices. For example, these include Management of Safe Lifting Operations, Safe Working At Height and Overhead Crane Course. Most training courses include theory, practical training sessions and an end assessment.

It’s not just crane operators that need to attend crane safety courses. Anyone involved in the various aspects of lifting operations should be provided with the appropriate training. This may include foremen, superintendents, equipment managers, and safety personnel.

Employees should understand health and safety to be able to safely operate a crane

Getting A CPCS Card To Safely Operate A Crane

To enable your employees to safely operate a crane, you should provide the opportunity for them to work towards their CPCS Card. CPCS stands for Construction Plant Competency Scheme. It allows your employees to prove that they have the technical skills required to do their job whilst being aware of health and safety practices.

These cards are not a legal requirement. However, many sites will not let employers work without a valid CPCS card. Here at Altida, we have teamed up with Essential Site Skills to offer specialist training in all things plant, lifting and crane-related. Our training will allow you to gain your CPCS card.

You should consider providing your employees, particularly those who will be operating a crane, with the opportunity to work towards an NPOSR accreditation.

Health And Safety Training

In order to safely operate a crane, your employees must have an in-depth understanding of basic health and safety.

Although the majority of lifting operation training has elements of health and safety, it will also be beneficial to provide standard or bespoke health and safety training for your employees. Many of these training courses may be centred around health and safety awareness and site safety.

The HSE offers a wide range of health and safety training courses. These include training courses for the construction industry such as Site And Transport Safety and PPE Essentials.

Develop Crane Safety Procedures In The Workplace

Training your new and existing employees on how to safely operate a crane and how to be aware of health and safety issues on-site is sure to increase workplace safety and profits. It is also likely to reduce the risk of injuries or accidents.

However, even employees that have had the necessary training can forget or make a mistake from time to time. After all, we’re only human. So, as well as providing the appropriate training, you should also consider developing crane safety procedures in the workplace.

This includes ensuring each employee involved in the lift is aware of the safety measures that must be taken for that particular type of crane. Or knows where to find them if not.

Crane operators should also be in the habit of checking the crane inspection list to ensure the crane is safe to use before operating it.

Using the correct protective equipment to safely operate a crane

Each employee should also be aware of the type of personal protective equipment they require before going on-site or operating machinery. Your team members should also be familiar with mobile crane hand signals before they can safely operate a crane.

Crane safety signs should be displayed clearly in the workplace, even if it is just to remind your team of the necessary precautions to take when on site.

Highlight Common Crane Hazards

Teaching your team about crane hazards is a key factor in ensuring that all lifting operations are carried out safely. There is no better way to get through to an employee about the importance of health and safety than by outlining the risks.

Explain the dangers of unsafely operating a crane and ensure that your employees understand the high risk of injuries and even fatalities. Perhaps use videos or case studies to show your employees past crane incidents and how they could have easily been avoided.

If your team understand the hazards and risks surrounding lifting operations, they are sure to put safety first when operating a crane.

Get In Touch With The Crane Hire Experts

Here at Altida, we are experts in everything to do with lifting.

Whether you are lifting heavy loads on uneven terrain or operating in a city centre with a small footprint available, we have the right crane hire for you.

Our competent person would be happy to come out on-site and do a free, no obligation site survey. We can also generate a thorough and detailed method statement for you. We will do all we can to ensure the safety of your lifting operations.

Alternatively, if you’d like your employees to train towards their CPCS card, we are offering specialist training that will allow them to gain their CPCS card.

Get in touch with us at sales@altida.co.uk or call 01246 261915. Or, you can fill in the contact form here.