FAQ >> Overhead Travelling Cranes

Overhead Travelling Cranes

Many fatal or very serious accidents have been associated with the movement of overhead travelling cranes. These accidents have occurred mainly to maintenance workers employed on, or near, the wheel tracks of this type of installation.

Where persons are employed within the vicinity of the wheel track of the crane and there is a risk of being struck, effective measures must be taken to warn the operator of the crane, or indeed any other equally effective precaution, to ensure that the crane does not approach within 20' (6100mm) of that place .

Various systems of work have been devised to ensure compliance with these requirements. Some examples are as follows -

• The temporary construction of stop blocks on the rails and the electrical isolation of the particular section of the rail track, would be deemed to be effective measures to prevent the crane from approaching within 20' (6100mm) of where personnel are likely to be employed

• The placement of explosive detonators on the relevant section of the track is one means of taking effective measures to warn the crane driver

• In many industries, a properly organised and detailed permit to work system is employed to ensure that in all circumstances during the progress of maintenance work, a system exists which will prevent the crane from approaching within the specified 20' (6100mm) of the place where personnel may be working

There is also a specific requirement in this Regulation to ensure the existence of effective measures, to warn persons who may be working in any position above floor level and who are liable to be struck by an overhead travelling crane or by the load suspended from the crane. The only occasion where such a warning is unnecessary is when the persons work is closely connected with, or dependent upon, the movement of the crane.

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