Advanced Operating Techniques and Load Handling

Rigging Up Loads
To start hoisting a load with a crane, you have to rig the load upright, so u won’t have the whole thing come crushing down, to ruin the equipment or maybe injure or kill somebody.

Proper rigging involves the use of wire rope slings which are made up with hitches, hook, eyes and clamps of various kinds. A choker hitch is used when hitching a load with the single sling:

Types of Choker hitch: Open eye choker hitch Sliding choker hook Open eye with a hook Any choker hitch will tighten down against the load when a strain is placed on a sling.

A bridal sling is made up of two or more slings with equal length. … each leg of the sling is joint at one end with a ring or pear link. The other end can either have a sliding choker hooks, eye hooks or plain eyes.

Ways to protect the sling: 1. Pad the sharp edges of the object being lifted with wood blocks, heavy cloth or old rubber tyre. 2. Don’t drag slings on deck of boat or platform 3. Inspect slings from time to time, replace when necessary (check conditions of wire ropes such as bad/crushed, broken wires, bird-caged (some strands have unwrapped) 4. Store slings in clean dry place and keep lubricated to prevent rust and extend the life of the sling Note: Do not use slings made out of fiber rope

General load handling: 1. Use tag lines to control load whenever necessary 2. Put slings on lifting eyes provided on equipment not on fittings (the fitting could break or the slings could slipped) 3. Use spreader bar when slings will crush equipment, to keep the sling legs away from the crushable part. 4. Use sling legs long enough to prevent low angle tension (if the angle is decreased, the tension builds up more; increasing the angle, decreases the tension on each sling leg) 5. The Hooks on load blocks and hook balls should have safety latch to keep slings from flipping out of the hook

Prelift Checkout
The things necessary to be aware of prior hoisting a load is called a Prelift Checkout

Prelift procedures 1. Be sure crane is in good condition, safe working order 2. Check boom angle indicator, to make sure it’s working properly 3. Know correct weight load 4. Check load chart for proper load boom angle range 5. Be sure the load is not secured to deck of boat or platform 6. Don’t try to do too many crane operations at once 7. Man giving hand signals must be in full view of crane operator at all times 8. Obey emergency stop signal given by anyone.

Operating Instructions/Procedures
1. Be alert, know where that boom and hook are, at all times 2. In a rough sea, slings should be attached to load with block up and out of way 3. Keep your auxiliary boom brake on at all times (except when booming up or down) 4. Keep boom dog engaged at all times (except when booming down) 5. Make sure the correct clutches are engaged when youre ready to do a particular operation with a crane 6. Keep your foot on brake pedal and be ready to use it 7. Try to run ur engine fast enough so it won’t stall out 8. Don’t handle loads over production equipment (if necessary, take equipment out of service and bleed off pressure) 9. Don’t free-fall any load (except on cranes not equipped with lowering clutches) 10. Never use the crane to drag load whch are out of safe operating radius of boom 11. Don’t side-load boom. Keep bppm centered over load 12. Use low gear on heavy loads or on tedious work 13. Never leave crane unattended, nobody is ever to ride on load or hook blocks 14. Don’t let boom make contact with boom stops

Proper Operating Practices
1. When running a crane, don’t let anyone be under the load or under the path of the boom 2. When swinging a load, don’t bring the crane to a sudden stop, eventhough the boom has stopped, load will keep on travelling awhile, the force of the moving load could damage or even break the boom 3. Never leave the crane unattended while the machine is running or with load suspended 4. Handling People from boat to platform or platform to boat calls for some extra care as below: a. Raise personnel net and people, off the deck of the boat, only high enough to clear all obstructions, then gently swing net over the water b. Raise to a height just enough to clear all obstructions on the platform c. Swing net slowly over the platform to the place you want it, finally, gently lower the net to the platform (when lowering people from the platform to the boat, just reverse the process) Note: Personnel net should be used only for personnel, don’t try to lift boat equipment and people together in the net. If you have to make a sudden stop for some reason, the equipment bouncing around could easily injure a person riding with the equipment; when you need to hoist small items, use a basket or cargo net