The crane trucks are powerful lifting machines, designed to lift and move heavy loads quickly and easily. These machines offer many benefits and advantages for the contractors in terms of versatility, flexibility, and powerful performance. But like any other heavy-duty machine, the crane trucks can be very dangerous machines if not used properly. Safety is a key for achieving efficient results on the construction site. That’s why the manufacturers always try to design their machines with the latest safety technologies in order to ensure more safety for everyone at the working site. The focus in this text will be on the newest technologies which are being used today in the crane trucks.
Some reports in Australia state that the number of crane accidents is very high. The main cause for crane accidents is crane overload. When a crane is lifting more weight than what is being written in the manual, the chances for the crane to tip over are very high. Crane trucks overloading is very risky and can lead to serious injuries and even death. Any accident that might happen can cause injuries and can harm not only to the person who is operating the crane truck, but also any other worker who is near the working area where the crane truck is being used.
Therefore, in order to prevent accidents and to protect the personnel when crane trucks are being used, a special detection device needs to be installed into the machines. This detection device is needed to monitor the entire lifting procedure, and also to measure the weight of the items that are being lifted. With such detection device, the contractors can ensure safety for everyone on the construction site. The safety regulations in Australia explicitly state that the crane trucks should lift and move loads in accordance with the limitations and specifications in the manufacturer’s manual. In other words, the crane trucks are allowed only to lift loads within their safe lifting capacity which has been set by the manufacturers.
There are different types of overload detection devices which have been designed and developed by the manufacturers in order to prevent crane truck accidents when excessive weight has been lifted. Some of them are the following ones:
Load Moment Indicator. The load moment indicator is an instrument which is used to bring the crane trucks into conformity with the specific rules of usage. It has a sensor which monitors the stability and the hoist operation. This sensor has been developed with a purpose to help the operators to avoid lifting excessive weight, allowing the operators to see when the load reaches the rated capacity.
Crane Safety Monitor. This is an electronic device which gives the operators warning signals when the load is too heavy. The crane safety monitor, or the CSM, informs the operator when something is wrong by alarm sound. Furthermore, the CSM is a self-checking device, meaning that it is capable to determine and to identify any functional errors as a result of excess weight lifting. It is a very useful device which can prevent the crane trucks from tipping over, protecting the operators in this way from serious accidents.
Dynamometers. The dynamometer is a force and weight measuring device which is developed to prevent lifting of excessive loads. It comes with built in detectors for increased operator safety. The main task of this instrument is to measure the speed, power, and the mechanical force of the crane trucks.
