When it comes to lifting heavy loads on a construction site, few pieces of machinery are equipped to complete the job like a heavy-duty crane. Having access to a crane on your job site can make the work a lot easier, but it's important that you always keep safety in mind when working with cranes.

Here are three safety tips to go over with your ground crew prior to bringing a crane on to your next construction site.

1. Get Licensed

It's important to remind your workers that only licensed crewmen are allowed to operate a crane. Although some of your workers may have extensive experience working with heavy-duty cranes, only those individuals with a Certified Crane Operator (CCO) license issued by The National commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) should be allowed inside the cab of an operational crane.

By requiring your designated workers to have licensing prior to bringing a crane onto your construction site, you give individuals time to obtain a license before the crane arrives.

2. Check For Safety

Safety should always be a top priority when working on a construction site, and this rule applies to crane operation as well. It is easy for a crane operator to become lax when running a heavy-duty crane day after day, so reminding your workers to check for safety every time they use a crane can be beneficial.

Creating a safety checklist is a simple way to ensure your workers are systematically verifying that your heavy-duty crane is suitable for operation each time it is fired up. Including items like checking the brakes and examining hydraulic hoses on your safety checklist can make crane operation on your construction site safer in the future.

3.  Review Load Capacity

In an effort to complete a construction project faster, workers may be tempted to push the limits of an on-site crane by exceeding the crane's load capacity. According to experts, 80% of crane accidents are the direct result of operators exceeding the crane's operational capacity.

Be sure that you carefully review how to calculate the load capacity of the crane you will be bringing to your construction site in order to avoid potential accidents in the future.

Having access to a heavy-duty crane can be beneficial, but only if your workers are prepared to use this piece of machinery properly. Taking the time to review important things like the need for licensing, a safety checklist, and how to calculate load capacity with your employees before bringing a crane to your construction site will help you keep your site safer for all workers in the future.

For more information, contact a company like Caribou Interior Crane Services Ltd.