Sims Crane brings you a series written by Ron Kohner, President, Landmark Engineering Services Ltd., in which he explains the meaning and implications of the "bold line" present in the crane manufacturers' lift charts. With a wink and a nod, many crane users and operators over the years have patiently lectured that it is “sort […]
Sims Crane brings you the second part of the series written by Ron Kohner, President, Landmark Engineering Services Ltd., in which he explains the meaning and implications of the "bold line" present in the crane manufacturers' lift charts. For Part 1 click here. The following are some of the factors that manufacturers must consider as […]
Objects falling from the load, or dropped during crane assembly and disassembly operations create a potentially lethal job site hazard. In many cases, the load simply has not been rigged, secured and balanced properly, causing material contained within the load to shift and fall. During assembly or disassembly operations, personnel involved in the operation should […]
Working in Florida, high wind conditions rarely show up alone. They are usually accompanied by rain and often lightning. There are many things to take into account while making decisions regarding a lift in these conditions. In October, when Hurricane Sandy hit New York City, a crane collapsed under high winds and was hanging dangerously […]
Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, broke its own heaviest lift record using two Manitowoc 16000 crawler cranes to pick nearly 1,000 tons as part of a project to construct the Navy's next-generation DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer warship. The two Manitowoc crawlers lifted a 992-ton deckhouse containing the ship's bridge, command center, and battle room off […]
Learning to operate a crane competently requires the operator to demonstrate skill in real time. The crane industry in North America recognizes the limitations of assessing competence of crane operators using written tests and informal employer evaluations alone without any real-time skill assessment. Despite often arcane educational terminology, competence assessment is a practical way of […]
Mobile cranes are one of the most widely operated pieces of equipment on a construction site requiring companies to train and educate their employees on safe practices at a job site. The most serious accidents involving cranes are the result of inadequate planning and unsafe use of the equipment, leading to instability and overturning. Mr. […]
Sany America has expanded its range of rough terrain cranes with the introduction of the 85 US ton capacity Sany SRC885. The Sany SRC885 offers a reach of up to 209.7 feet. through a five-section, full-power boom. It can achieve its rated capacity at a 10 foot radius. With an overall weight of 115,880 pounds, […]
Astrid Hager-Guthrie, global product director for all-terrain cranes at Manitowoc Cranes, discusses cylinder drift with Lift and Access. Drift not only occurs in cranes but also in telescopic handlers, aerial lifts, and other equipment that uses hydraulic cylinders. LA: What is hydraulic cylinder drift? AH-G: Cylinder drift due to hydraulic leaks will appear as gradual […]
Crane and Rigging Hot Line announced a series of Risk Management Webinars beginning August 1, 2013. In the first webinar titled Minimizing Liability Allocation after Major Crane Accidents, Kevin Cunningham, president of the construction division of the Houston International Insurance Group (HIIG), will discuss how OSHA’s powerful new enforcement tools will impact liability allocations in […]
