5 Rigging Safety Tips to Follow in Your Construction Site
Rigging is a crucial process in the construction industry as it helps lift heavy construction objects. The rigging process poses various risks, and therefore, it is critical to follow the appropriate rigging steps at all times to avoid potential hazards to the workers.
Here are the top rigging safety tips to follow in your construction site.
1. Prepare and Plan Ahead
It is essential to understand that every time you lift a load, the situation changes significantly. Therefore, it is crucial to pay attention to the condition of the site before lifting the load each time. This involves analysing the weight load capacity, limitations of the machine and elements such as the direction and speed of the wind.
It is also critical to plan the rigging process and involve all riggers during the planning phase. Planning should be done before you hire a crane. This will ensure you choose a crane that will work best for your construction project requirements.
2. Balance the Load
Anytime you use a crane to lift materials, ensure the load hook and the upper suspension are forming a straight line. This means you have to analyse how far the loads can swing to ensure that the chain and hoist body don't touch the load when lifting it. When the load is not balanced, the crane might tip over. Therefore, make sure you know the load's centre of gravity and its weight.
3. Don't Lift People
A crane is not designed to lift people. Though hooking man-baskets to the crane may seem like an ideal way to lift workers to the desired heights, it might pose undue risk. The benefits of using the cranes to lift workers are not worth the hassle and risks involved.
4. Avoid Using the Crane for Storage
It is common to find workers attaching various things on the cranes and leaving them suspended through the night. However, using the crane for storage poses the risk of injuring unsuspecting people below the load. When it is windy, the suspended load might cause excessive swaying and make the machine to topple over.
Also, the modern-day hydraulic cranes can develop leaks when you use them as storage. Such leaks will lower the pressure, making the load to fall and could severe injuries or damage to properties.
5. Use Qualified Personnel
Every employee working around the rigging equipment should understand the proper safety measures to follow. Therefore, get trained workers who understand how rigging equipment works. Qualified riggers will understand when the conditions are no longer safe and take precautionary measures.
These safety tips will ensure a smooth operation during the rigging process and reduce the risk of accidents. You can enhance safety in your construction site is by hiring rigging services. The professionals know the steps to follow to get the job done and prevent accidents.