Why You Should Always Service Your Lifting Equipment
Cranes and hoists can be an essential tool throughout many industries, such as construction, events and rail. At Emerson Cranes, you can be assured that our expert team regularly service all of our equipment and that safety is our top priority. We understand that safety is important across all industries and a certain level needs to be maintained to ensure the safety of you, your employees and anybody else around or near the site. We want to make sure that when you work with us, you can take peace of mind knowing you’re getting the safest crane hire service possible. We always go above and beyond to ensure maximum compliance with current health and safety laws. We’ve put together this guide on why you should always make sure your lifting equipment is serviced and warning signs that indicate your crane may need repairs.
Corrosion
The warning signs of corrosion are often small. Never disregard rust. All moving parts of a crane are susceptible to corrosion, especially if you are working in an area that is particularly humid. Rust is often the first sign of corrosion, which is something to always look out for before using a crane. Even small signs of rust can be a sign of issues with the crane that you can’t see beneath the surface. If you turn a blind eye to rust you could be ignoring the loss of mechanical strength, which can potentially result in the cranes dropping their load. Frequent inspections need to be performed to assess any signs of corrosion to ensure your crane operations meet safety standards.
Don’t Ignore Leaking
Any signs of a leak need to be looked at right away. In cranes and hoists, leaks can appear anywhere from the engine, to the hoses and cylinders. If you notice that your crane has a leak you should always cease crane operations as they are an extreme safety concern and can lead to more rust and corrosion, causing further problems down the line.
Misshapen Hooks
If your hooks appear to be bent out of shape, then chances are something is wrong with them and they won’t be able to hold a load like you intend them to. If they are bent in any wrong direction, their lifting capacity will be compromised. This increases the chance of the hooks breaking from the crane and the load being dropped. If the hooks of the crane look misshapen, it’s a warning sign that your crane may need repairs.
Outrigger Pads Starting To Wear
All cranes have pads to take the force of the crane’s movement and the weight of any loads, but it’s possible for these to wear down over time. As they wear down over time, it’s something that could go missed so making sure all of your lifting equipment is regularly serviced is the best way to avoid this. If your crane is louder than normal or making noise you wouldn’t usually expect, this could be a sign the pads are starting to wear and an indication that your crane may need repairs.
All Brakes On Lifting Equipment Need To Be Serviced
Just like a car, a crane needs its brakes and clutch regularly serviced. There are many ways to tell if your brakes need repairing on the crane and this is something that is detrimental to the safety of you and those around you. If there is a screeching sound whilst you are operating your crane, it’s important to stop working and get the brakes looked at. However, you don’t want it to get to this point. With regular inspections and servicing, you can keep your brakes happy and performing well.
How To Prevent Damage and Crane Repairs
If you notice any of the signs above, stop use of the crane instantly. The best way to prevent needing repairs is to ensure your cranes, hoists and all lifting equipment is regularly serviced, as this way anything that could be in trouble is soon picked up. Making sure that your cranes are maintained to industry standards means they will continue to work at maximum efficiency and keep all operators safe. There are other things you can do to make sure your crane doesn’t see too much damage, such as not overloading the crane. As per GOV.uk here, from 2020-2021 there were 39 fatal injuries to workers and 4 to members of the public in the construction industry. Although it could be tempting to overload it to save time on a project, the outcome can be dangerous and compromises the safety of workers and the general public.
Why Choose Emerson Cranes?
Choosing our crane hire services means you are guaranteed to be supplied with cranes and lifting equipment that is safe and serviced to the highest of industry standards. All of our cranes meet industry regulations, are regularly serviced and maintain optimum safety at all times. This way you can have peace of mind that with our crane hire service, you’re getting the safest option possible. You are also able to choose our Contract Lift Hire service, which means at Emerson, we will take all responsibility for the lifting operation meeting safety standards. You will be provided with the crane, lifting equipment and tackle, documentation, and certification. Therefore you can have peace of mind that everything is taken care of. To learn more about our crane hire services, click here. Alternatively, get in touch with a member of our friendly team today on 020 8059 2546 for more information. We look forward to hearing from you.
