Texas tops the chart for most crane-related fatalities at the job site. Most of these fatal injuries are struck-by incidents caused by improper use of material handling equipment. Training for heavy load handling systems exists for a reason: to keep the users and their surroundings safe from damage and injury.
In the future, take these safety measures when operating equipment by Hovair Systems.
Use Proper Equipment
The only way automated handling of heavy loads can go wrong is if it doesn’t support your intended purpose. We stand by all our material handling equipment and ensure our clients safely use them by informing them about their purpose.
For instance, you can’t use an air-powered product suitable for lightweight materials to lift heavy loads. You should also not be using short-distance equipment to lift materials across long distances.
Undertake Regular Maintenance
Annual and biannual maintenance is as much of an investment as your equipment. What you see as an unnecessary expense now could save your staff’s lives and prevent expensive work-related injuries in the future.
Apart from preventive maintenance, you should also visually inspect your equipment before using it and ensure your models are tried, tested, and certified to lift the weight, shape, and size you want them to carry.
Never Exceed the Working Load Limit
Never Exceed the Working Load LimitWorking Load Limit or WLL is a recurring term in the manufacturing sector. It’s quite simply your equipment’s load capacity, which should at least be one-third of its breaking strength. No matter how high its breaking strength, your equipment should never have more weight than it claims to carry.
If you have yet to buy the equipment, we suggest considering companies prioritizing weight capacity and specifying it on every product page. Once you’ve chosen the company where you want to buy the equipment, gauge their strength by assessing their weaknesses.
For instance, if a machine doesn’t support heavy weights, buy them only for carrying lighter loads. Similarly, if a machine doesn’t support oddly shaped materials, only use them to carry regular materials.
Train Your Staff
As an employer, top-notch training is your company’s biggest safety measure. Train those operating the lifting equipment and give them extra training whenever you introduce them to newer tools for lifting and rigging materials.
Moreover, you should refresh and update their knowledge every three years through training workshops. The more you stick to these guidelines, the safer and more efficient your day-to-day operations.
Revisit your safety protocols and replace any equipment that may not meet your safety standards. Update your lifting and rigging equipment with Hovair Systems. Visit our website to browse heavy load carriers, air bearing moving systems, heavy machinery lifting equipment, and other products online.
Get in touch to order custom-built air caster material handling solutions today.