Maintaining your crane is one of the most important factors to factor in to your annual budget for equipments whether you are buying a used crane or not. Maintaining your crane is a health and safety issue and should never be ignored. Having your crane inspected and maintained on an annual basis will also prolong the life span of your equipment.
Cranes can be highly dangerous pieces of equipment if they are not used or maintained in the right way. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not maintaining cranes and lifting equipment to a high standard.
Here are some of the reasons why crane maintenance needs to be a priority:
- Site safety. A site will only be a safe place to work if all the equipment is in good working order.
- Prevention of injury and accidents. Members of staff need to be protected when they are working with cranes.
- To ensure there is no loss of life. The implications of using a poorly maintained crane are huge. Accidents can be serious and often lead to loss of life.
- To be safe for the public. The area around the site needs to be taken into consideration as well. Crane collapses can be devastating.
The requirements for crane maintenance and inspection are laid out in the Lifting Operations and Lifting Regulations 1998 (LOLER) and Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). These give general guidance regarding cranes and lifting equipment, with the general purpose of reducing work-related injuries. It’s important you adhere to guidelines set out by LOLER and POWER to meet your obligations as any employer.
In 2016/17, 30 construction workers died in Great Britain. We are all responsible for reducing the number of incidents and fatal accidents. By making sure your lifting equipment is fit for purpose, you are making a big contribution towards a safer working environment.
At Cranes UK, we are experienced providers of crane servicing and maintenance. If you would like to ask us anything at all about maintaining your cranes and lifting equipment, we will be happy to offer you advice and support. Feel free to contact us on 01384 441235
