Tag Archive: OSHA

  1. 6 Tips for Increasing Crane Safety in Your Facility

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    Over the past 50 years, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) specifications for crane safety have remained relatively unchanged. To begin enhancing the training and safety opportunities in the overhead lifting industry, OSHA has recently renewed a five-year alliance with the Crane, Hoist and Monorail Alliance (CHM).

    Crane SafetyThe partnership demonstrates OSHA’s confidence in CHM as a trusted resource in an ongoing effort to increase workers’ safety. In a recent EHS Today article, OSHA’s Assistant Secretary of Labor Dr. David Michaels said, “Our alliance with CHM has been invaluable in helping to reduce and prevent serious or fatal incidents in the material handling industry.”

    To follow the example that these industry leaders have set, here are six ways that you can increase crane safety within your own facility:

    1. Create Accountability with Your Inspection — Develop written guidelines for your crane and hoist inspection and maintenance programs; implement this code to train every operator on proper crane equipment use and safety protocol.
    2. Schedule Your Inspections — Create a pre-planned schedule to stay on top of equipment functionality through preventative maintenance. Having a schedule will help to avert any breakdown repairs by ensuring that your equipment always meets the necessary safety requirements.
    3. Read the Manual — It may sound silly, but it is crucial that every operator has read the manufacturers’ operation manuals. Implementing this practice will add an extra level of protection at your facility.
    4. Conduct Pre-Shift Inspections — Crane operators should understand the applicable OSHA, national, state, and local inspection requirements for their machinery and ensure that all products are in compliance with these specifications at the start of each shift.
    5. Implement a Lockout/Tagout Procedure — Lockout procedures safeguard employees by cutting equipment off from the energy source before any maintenance work. This precaution helps prevent accidental or unexpected operation from stored energy, as well as the resulting risk of injury.
    6. Know Your Equipment’s Limits — Employees should always be aware of crane load limits as well as the capacities of each payload.

    By taking these simple precautions, you can increase everyday workplace safety for your operators. To learn more about how to increase crane safety in your facility, we invite you to download our maintenance troubleshooting guide, “What Your Cranes Wish You Knew.”

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  2. Join Our November Food Drive

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    Thanksgiving Campaign Will Benefit Greater Berks Food Bank

    The community we call home is important to us at American Crane, and we love getting the chance to give back. This November, we’re launching a campaign with the Greater Berks Food Bank to help feed hungry families for the holidays.

    With every parts order placed during the month of November, the American Crane team will donate a can of food to the charity. Donations support their full network of programs, including providing healthy meals, emergency food supplies, a food pantry, as well as specific initiatives for youth and seniors in need.

    The Greater Berks Food Bank has supported our area since 1983, and is dedicated to feeding over 60,000 people each year. Without food donations this organization would not be able to accomplish their mission.

    With 40,000 standard cranes and hoists, rigging items, trolleys, lifting devices, spare parts and specialized products in our online store, there are plenty of ways to pitch in and help. Even specialized hoist orders contribute to the effort, including:

    American Crane’s online parts store offers a vast inventory to support heavy lifting needs in a variety of industries. Standard and customized hoists, cranes and material handling solutions are just the beginning of their 80,000 piece catalogue.

    For special projects and needs beyond the standard catalogues, our Service and Parts Department provides load testing, retrofit, product support, outage support, and upgrades, OSHA and other inspections, spare parts and custom fabrications.

    Check out our online store now, or submit a request for more information on your custom order. If you’d like to get involved directly with our friends at the Greater Berks Food Bank, learn more about what they do at www.berksfoodbank.org. Cheers to the holiday season!

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