While operator error can sometimes cause crane accidents, one of the most common reasons for a crane accident while on the job is the weather. As we saw with the Dallas crane collapse earlier this year, a sudden shift in weather can be absolutely disastrous.
And when hurricane season comes, that’s a big problem for Texas crane rental companies. Those that care about safety know they have to take extra precautions when storms can form. Here’s how they keep you safe.
Four Must-Follow Weather Safety Procedures for Texas Crane Rental Companies
- Constant monitoring
As the saying goes, if you don’t like the weather in Texas, just wait a few minutes. Texas can have fast-changing and unpredictable weather, particularly along the gulf coast, which makes constant weather monitoring a must. A crane company might only have a few minutes’ warning of a newly formed storm.
- A willingness to stop work
How do you safely work a crane during a lightning storm, or when high winds are blowing? You don’t. It is as simple as that. There are NO safety precautions that can keep a crane, or those around it, safe during a major storm. Texas crane rental companies must simply know when to say when and be willing to shut down operations until the storm passes.
- Securing the crane when not in use
The dangers to a crane don’t stop when the crane isn’t in use. During storms, it’s extremely easy for the crane to be damaged by wind, rain, debris, or other elements. While no safety measure can fully prevent the possibility of damage, a good crane rental company will still look to secure the crane as best as possible. Depending on the crane, this could mean disassembly, or moving it to a secure indoor location, or putting a protective covering over as much of it as possible.
- An emphasis on training and drilling safety procedures
The best safety plan in the world is meaningless if the workers don’t follow it properly in an emergency. Smart crane rental companies will spend plenty of time training their workers on how to respond to sudden shifts in the weather and drilling them so that emergency work-stop procedures are conducted swiftly and safely.
Let Our Bobcat Contracting Team Help
If you can’t tell, we at Bobcat Contracting are passionate about safety – and we have one of the lowest incident rates in the business. Contact us for safe and successful Texas lifting jobs.
