Cranes are used for a wide variety of purposes. They are very useful and helpful tools. However, there are always risks associated with using a crane. Here are a few safety precautions and practices you need to ensure that are engaged any time a crane is used by your business.

#1 Make Sure Your Operator Knows The Signals

The first thing you need to do is make sure that your operator and the person assisting them on the ground knows the signals. It can be very difficult for the operator inside of the crane to hear what is being said on the ground, which is why hand signals are so vital. Make sure that both your operator and ground assistance have reviewed all the hand signals they will need to use. Here are a few common hand signals that they should review and that others at your business should know in case of an emergency. 

• Stop: Arms extended with palms facing forward and straight is the signal for the crane operator to stop immediately. 
• Emergency Stop: The sign for an emergency stop consists of extending your arm in front of you and waving your hand back and forth in a horizontal motion. The crane operator should immediately stop due to an emergency when they see this signal. 
• Move Slowly: In order to indicate that the crane operator should move slowly, you should use one hand to give the motion signal, while holding the other hand in front of the signal hand motionlessly. This will signal to the operator to move the crane slowly in the direction indicated. 

Be sure to review any additional necessary hand signals that your operator and ground assistance will need to use. 

#2 Make Sure That Your Operator Knows All The Safety Requirements

Only a licensed crane operator should ever use your crane. It is vital that your crane operator knows all the safety requirements for operation the crane. It is also vital that anyone in a supervisory position at your business also know these requirement so they can make safe decisions regarding the use of the crane. 

Here are some of the basic safety require that your crane operator and supervisors should know:

• A crane should never be used to drag and pull a load; it should only be used to lift and carry a load.
• A crane should never lift a load over a space where people are standing.
• A crane should not be used to make side pulls or end pulls.
• All efforts should be made to make sure that the crane is overloaded. When in doubt, it is better to transfer things in smaller loads instead of larger loads. 

If your business ever needs to use a crane, it is vital that you make sure that the crane operator and anyone assisting the crane operator know all the safety precautions that they need to keep in mind as well as all the hand signals that are needed to communicate with the operator. Reviewing this information with all relevant employees is the best way to ensure a safe and accident free workplace. Contact a business, such as Lockwood Brothers Inc, for more information about cranes.