Winching-related accidents can be prevented by appropriately training your operators for inspection, maintenance procedure and safe rigging of the winch (hoist). Training of each equipment operator is necessary for your business. Keep it in mind that this training can’t be an extra expense, but allow you to decrease overall costs by reducing the events of product malfunctions and injuries. Ultimately, it can increase your productivity. If there is a lifting job, everything must be managed appropriately from initial inspections to the final lifting operation.
The requirement for Safety Equipment
Before lifting, you must arrange essential tools, such as hearing, hand, and eye protection. You will need specialized Tway Lifting equipment. If you are lifting over 5 ft, the risk of head injury is higher. You can minimize this risk by wearing an appropriate hard hat. Other things required in lifting operations are spotters and riggers.
Pre-Operational Checking
Operators have to perform pre-operation examinations and procedures for preparation to identify possible problems, enhance the safety of your work environment and prevent accidents. Make sure that your hoist has no out-of-order tagging.
Visual inspection of synthetic straps, wire rope, chain, and hooks must be performed. Carefully check for damages to a chain like twists, kinks, stretch, wear, gouges, nicks and cracks, fasteners on hooks and broken wires for the appropriate function.
After completing the visual inspection, you have to test-run each hoist with zero loads. Run a crane entirely up and down. If you hear any unusual sound from a hoist, immediately report it and tag this hoist “out of order.”
The stopping distance of hoist must be normal without extra drift. You can accomplish it by lifting lighter loads and use 50 pounds or load bearing chain parts (reeving) for hoist’s hand and 100 pounds or load bearing chain parts for treadle tools. Ensuring the proper function of a brake is essential.
Safe Operations
Main reasons of accidents are poor rigging and overloading so you should pay attention to the lifting capacity of the hoist. The weight should not exceed the capacity of an elevator. Moreover, don’t lift a load with uncertain weight. The weight of cargo can be found in labels of load, steel manuals, lading bills, drawing, catalogs, etc. You can use weight scales, crane scale or dynamometer to get an accurate weight.
If you can’t determine weight, you can calculate it by weight the actual object. You should familiarize yourself with the constraints of the hoist. Carefully pull to pick full-load. Every crane can lift the power of a person. You must not allow two people to use one elevator at the same time. If an elevator takes 58 pounds of full force to increase 1 ton, any pulling force over this particular value will overload a crane. Consider the specifications of the manufacturer before choosing the load limit for an elevator.
Rigging Safety
While lifting heavy loads, rigging techniques are necessary for operators. Ring equipment is available for safe lifting. While rigging, carefully load hook, and upper suspension must form one straight line. The body or chain of hoist must not touch the load. Avoid tipping load hooks and use lifting or sling devices to rig loads.