Mobile cranes are essential for pulling off many construction projects — without them, the largest builds simply couldn't get off the ground. Despite their importance, these heavy lifters can be a cause of many accidents or fatalities on the jobsite, so implementing safety practices is a must.

This comprehensive guide to mobile crane safety will show you the leading mobile crane safety hazards and procedures, as well as the role that daily safety inspections play in preventing them. We'll also look at the role that controlling entities play in facilitating proper crane safety, and how construction management software like RapidWorks can help.

Inside this guide:

• The Top Mobile Crane Safety Hazards and Procedures Your Crew Needs to Know
  • 8 Mobile Crane Safety Hazards
  • 5 Mobile Crane Safety Procedures
• How Daily Crane Inspections Keep Businesses Safe and Cost-Effective
• How Controlling Entities Help Maintain Essential Crane Safety Standards
• 9 Ways to Build a Safe Mobile Crane Team
• Elevate Your Mobile Crane Safety With RapidWorks
• FAQs

The Top Mobile Crane Safety Hazards and Procedures Your Crew Needs to Know

 Following the appropriate safety procedures can help your team and equipment stay safe while boosting your operational efficiency.

8 Mobile Crane Safety Hazards

Whether it's a nearby power line, uneven ground, or a heavy lift at a long distance, construction sites with mobile cranes face a wide number of safety risks:

1. Boom collapse: Often caused by a hydraulic failure resulting from overextension or other equipment issues, a boom collapse can harm equipment, nearby buildings, or team members. Avoid extending your crane boom to the maximum length when possible, listen for any unusual sounds such as creaks or vibrations, and always adhere to your crane's load limit and extension guidelines. 
2. Overloading/dropped loads: Cranes can lift massive amounts, but even they have their weight restrictions. Dropped loads are a major cause of injuries or fatalities in mobile crane use and can seriously damage other pieces of equipment or property, so never exceed your crane's load limits. 
3. Power-line contact: The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) found that 32% of crane-related fatalities were the result of electrocution from overhead power lines. To prevent electricity-related incidents, always follow OSHA guidelines on maintaining a minimum distance from power lines. If you must approach closer than the guidelines allow, contact the appropriate power company to request that it de-energizes the lines. 
4. Poor ground preparation: Proper mobile crane safety requires significant ground preparation beforehand. Make sure the ground is even, solid, and well-drained before operating the crane. 
5. Tip-overs: Tip-overs result from overloading, overextension, or uneven ground conditions. Proper ground preparation can go a long way in minimizing the risk of your mobile crane toppling over, and proper use of outriggers can keep your crane stable. Wind conditions can also cause your mobile crane to tip, so postpone your lift in poor weather conditions. 
6. Falls: According to the most recent data, 14% of crane-related fatalities were caused by a fall. To prevent the risk of a fall, require all workers in the crane bucket to wear the proper safety equipment, such as lifelines or harnesses — and never let them climb onto the boom to reach a location. 
7. Structural failures: Other structural failures, such as snapped cables or hydraulic failures, can occur as a result of poor maintenance or of using the crane outside of its load and extension limitations. Conduct regular maintenance on your mobile crane to minimize the likelihood of a structural failure and keep your crane running longer. 
8. Visibility issues: Poor visibility can lead to operator errors, which can result in collisions, damaged equipment, and injuries or fatalities. Every crane operator has their blind spots, so provide plenty of lighting and visual markers and use a spotter to relay visual information during the lift. 

Some overlap exists between these leading mobile crane safety hazards, and one risk can often lead to another. For example, overloading could result in a tip-over or boom collapse, and poor visibility could cause a collision, potentially leading to a dropped load. Conducting a thorough job hazard analysis can help you identify each risk and plan for them ahead of time.

5 Mobile Crane Safety Procedures

The best mobile crane safety procedures can help you mitigate many of the potential hazards that come with a lift:

• Implement safety checklists. Equipment maintenance checklists help ensure that all maintenance tasks are carried out according to manufacturer specifications, and that they're completed on a regular basis. Implement them to keep track of your maintenance workflows and review them periodically with your employees — especially with newer team members.
• Identify all safety hazards. Power lines, weather, ground conditions, and surrounding obstacles can all create safety hazards. Take an inventory of all the risk factors on your jobsite to identify which precautions can help you address them.
• Hold regular safety briefings. Communication is critical on the jobsite. Toolbox talks are a great chance to discuss the safety risks associated with each project while on-site.
• Plan each load. Load planning involves identifying the center of gravity of each load, considering its dimensions, and determining the necessary equipment to successfully execute a lift. Each load is unique, so hold a load planning session before every lift to ensure proper crane safety.
• Install safety devices. Mobile crane safety equipment helps boost your chances of a successful lift. A few safety devices you could install on your mobile crane are: 
  • Overload limiters, to prevent excessive loading
  • Height limit switches, to prevent overextension
  • Anti-collision devices, such as motion sensors or buffers 
  • Wind protection equipment, to reduce the risk of tip-overs
  • Lighting and signage, to improve visibility

Installing job management software like Visual Dispatch is another way to improve your mobile crane safety. In addition to helping you orchestrate your broader management workflows, these platforms let you complete equipment checklists and safety surveys on-site, and you can generate reports to demonstrate your OSHA compliance in the event of an audit. The result is better mobile crane safety and greater transparency into your maintenance processes — and a healthier fleet in the long run.

How Daily Crane Inspections Keep Businesses Safe and Cost-Effective

Performing daily mobile crane inspections can keep your fleet safe and operable for longer, but the benefits go beyond that. Consistent maintenance boosts your profitability and performance in several ways:

• Longer equipment lifetime: The exact amount may vary based on your operations, but some data shows that daily inspections can increase your mobile crane's lifetime by as much as 25 to 30 years. They also let you catch small problems before they turn into bigger ones, reducing the need for major repairs. This not only reduces your downtime and repair costs, but it also increases your crane's resale value.

• Better compliance: Construction management software lets you record your daily crane maintenance activities and generate a report on your processes. This helps you demonstrate your compliance with OSHA standards if you face an inspection, and it can also reduce your liability in the event of an accident. A consistent maintenance record can also help lower your insurance premiums by 5% to 15% in some cases.

• Higher operational efficiency: Daily mobile crane inspections can reduce downtime, keeping your crane up and running for longer. The result is higher operational efficiency, letting you complete more projects faster and boosting your bottom line.

• Stronger employee relationships: Poor equipment safety and low-quality machinery are a leading cause of stress, anxiety, and fear among construction workers, all of which can hinder your retention efforts, dampen employees' morale, and lower their productivity. Daily inspections give your team confidence that its equipment will run as intended and give everyone peace of mind during a lift.

From greater longevity and reduced risk to higher efficiency and improved employee morale, daily mobile crane inspections can benefit your company in many ways. They can help enhance your mobile crane safety, protect you in the event of an inspection or audit, and help you complete more projects faster — and ultimately boost your bottom line.

How Controlling Entities Help Maintain Essential Crane Safety Standards

One way to improve your mobile crane safety processes is to work closely with the controlling entity responsible for the job. A controlling entity is any individual or organization that oversees the planning, quality, and completion of your project. This may include contractors, construction managers, or parent companies.

Whatever their exact position may be, these highly experienced construction professionals have multiple responsibilities that impact your mobile crane safety practices. A few of them are:

• Verifying that all ground conditions adhere to OSHA guidelines and any equipment specifications
• Conducting site inspections to determine if the environment is safe 
• Assessing weather conditions and halting the project if they're unsafe 
• Identifying safety hazards such as power lines or visibility issues
• Maintaining safe access routes for all vehicles and pedestrians
• Establishing clear communication with all parties involved

Controlling entities ensure everyone consistently follows all safety protocols, so collaborating with them can improve your compliance. Work with them by clearly documenting all of your agreements, safety records, and maintenance workflows, and store all relevant documents in your construction management software.

9 Ways to Build a Safe Mobile Crane Team

A fully developed crane team consists of operators, riggers, spotters, managers, and technicians, and finding the right people for each role can be a challenge. 

Some recruitment and retention strategies you can implement to round out your mobile crane team are:

• Leverage industry-specific job boards.
• Develop an apprenticeship or training program.
• Target military veterans and skilled tradespeople.
• Create a safety-first work environment.
• Implement lines of communication between team members.
• Invest in tools to centralize communication.
• Offer competitive compensation and benefits.
• Provide career growth and advancement opportunities.
• Offer flexible work schedules.

Having the right technology and policies in place can foster mobile crane safety, but your most important asset is always your people. Want to learn more about recruitment and retention strategies? Check out our full guide for more details.  

Elevate Your Mobile Crane Safety With RapidWorks

Safety is always the top priority when you're running a construction company — especially when you're using heavy equipment that reaches the skies. Staying aware of the leading mobile crane safety hazards can help maintain a safe environment for all.

RapidWorks is an industry leader in construction management solutions. Our product, Visual Dispatch, facilitates your team's mobile crane safety, letting you track your crane maintenance to ensure all workflows are completed and generate reports to demonstrate your compliance. 

Generate accurate, dispatchable quotes, schedule equipment and support personnel for new jobs, and drill down on your daily tasks — all while carrying out the proper mobile crane safety practices. The result is not only a safer fleet and construction team, but also a well-oiled construction management system that keeps your projects on track. 

Ready to see how Visual Dispatch can elevate your mobile crane safety and broader construction management processes? Reach out to schedule a demo today.

FAQs 

What Are the Leading Mobile Crane Safety Hazards?

There are many mobile crane safety hazards for teams to watch out for, but the main ones are: 

• Boom failures
• Overloading
• Electrocution
• Tip-overs
• Falls
• Structural failures/collapses
• Inadequate ground preparation
• Poor visibility

What Tasks Can Help My Team Improve Its Mobile Crane Safety?

To improve your team's mobile crane safety practices, consider these steps: 

• Implement mobile crane safety devices (load limiters, anti-collision devices, height limit switches, wind protection equipment).
• Discuss safety risks during toolbox talks to inform team members of all potential dangers.
• Install proper lighting and visual signals to improve visibility.
• Conduct thorough ground preparation beforehand to reduce the chance of a tip-over.
• Perform a job hazard analysis to assess all possible risks.

How Can Daily Inspections Benefit My Mobile Crane's Performance? 

Inspecting your mobile crane fleet daily can benefit your operations by: 

• Extending the lifetime of your cranes
• Minimizing your downtime in the field 
• Reducing your repair costs by catching problems early on
• Increasing your cranes' resale value

What Role Do Controlling Entities Play in Facilitating Mobile Crane Safety?

Controlling entities can impact your mobile crane safety by:

• Verifying ground conditions
• Inspecting the jobsite for potential hazards
• Maintaining safe vehicle and pedestrian access routes
• Fostering proper communication with the rest of the team