Canada Officials on a Blitz for Tower and Crane Safety

Tower & Mobile Crane Safety Focus of Blitz

Safety of tower and mobile cranes is the focus of a blitz in July and August for officials with Safe at Work Ontario (Canada).

According to the Ministry of Labour, a team of more than 25 of its inspectors are visiting construction sites that use tower and mobile cranes. The inspectors have received special training and will climb each tower crane that they inspect. They will check for compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations. They will focus on hazards that could endanger the health and safety of workers. Enforcement action, as appropriate, will be taken for any violations of the act and its regulations. [WCx]

Definition of Tower Crane

Under the Regulations for Construction Projects, a tower crane is a defined as a mechanical device or structure that is of the travelling, fixed or climbing type and that has a:

boom, jib or both
power-driven drum and wire rope to raise, lower or move material and
vertical mast.

Used to erect high rise buildings, a tower crane can hoist and move material at great heights on construction sites.

Definition of Mobile Crane

A mobile crane is a mechanical device or structure that incorporates a boom that is

capable of moving in the vertical and horizontal plane
capable of raising, lowering or moving a load suspended from the boom by a hook or rope and
mounted on a mobile base or chassis.

These cranes are designed to be easily transported to a site and used with different types of cargo and loads.

Crane Hazards

Hazards involving tower and mobile cranes can lead to catastrophic events. For example, if a poorly maintained tower crane collapses, workers on the construction site could be injured or killed. Even the public can be affected if a tower crane falls or drops a heavy load.

All cranes are:

getting older
exposed to the elements and weather extremes and
subject to heavy use for extended periods making them prone to stress, fatigue and breakdown.

There have been a number of incidents involving serious injuries to workers, as well as some close calls, involving cranes in the past few years.

Between 2007 and 2011, one worker died and seven workers were seriously injured in incidents involving a tower crane or mobile crane at construction sites across Ontario, according to Ministry of Labour reports.

Injuries and Close Calls

Of the injury incidents, four were related to tower cranes and three were related to mobile cranes.

The injuries resulted from incidents such as a:

tower crane striking scaffolding that caused a worker to fall
worker being struck by a piece of material that was being hoisted
worker being pinned under a load that was being lowered to the ground [WCx]

Close calls (in which no one was injured) involved a:

tower crane breaking into two
tower crane tipping over
Rigging failure
uncontrolled descent of material that landed in a busy traffic intersection

Blitz Priorities

Inspectors are focusing on the following key priorities:

Safe access and fall prevention: Inspectors will check for the required presence and adequacy of access ladder and guard rails or other access equipment. They will also check for required fall arrest equipment to protect workers who may fall from tower cranes.

Proximity to overhead energized power lines: inspectors will check if the operator maintains the minimum distance of approach from overhead energized power lines, if the voltage of such power lines has been identified and if a procedure is in place to maintain the minimum distance of the crane or its load from the overhead power lines.

Tower crane maintenance and other records: Inspectors will check for records on the condition of the tower crane, before and after erection, including a professional engineer’s design drawings for tower crane installation. Inspectors will check that tower cranes were properly inspected prior to first use, and regularly inspected and maintained afterwards. Inspectors will also review log book entries to ensure operational functions, such as limit and overload limit switches, were properly tested.

Mobile crane maintenance and other records: Inspectors will check for records such as the operator log book and operator manual. Inspectors will check that cranes were inspected and maintained as required.

Training: Inspectors will check that mobile crane operators are certified to operate a crane at a construction site or are being instructed in crane operation and accompanied by a person who has the required certification.

Various other issues: Inspectors will check on the structural, mechanical and foundational integrity of cranes, safety system, setup, proximity to people and safe hoisting practices.

Author Michael B. Stack, CPA, Director of Operations, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in employer communication systems and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their workers compensation costs by 20% to 50%. He is a writer, speaker, and website publisher. www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com. Contact: mstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.

WORKERS COMP MANAGEMENT MANUAL: www.WCManual.com

Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.