When it comes to lifting heavy new machinery into your factory, you know hiring a mobile crane from a company like Freo Group is the best way to proceed. However, to make sure the lifting day goes without a hitch, make sure your business premises are ready for the big day you have planned. Mobile crane access is simple enough to organise but takes a little forward planning. As a business owner who has never hired a crane before, using this checklist helps make your premises more crane-friendly before the big day arrives.
Look Up
Many crane hire companies send a company representative to inspect the premises where the crane will work, but it does not hurt to start thinking about possible obstacles before they arrive. When you look up, there are two obstacles that may get in the way of your equipment lift:
- When tackling tree lopping tasks at home, electrical companies have long chanted the "look up and live" mantra. The crane company needs to know what power lines are on your work premises and who your power supplier is. The earlier you provide this information, the faster the crane company can organise movement or lifting of the power lines if they interfere with the machine lift.
- How are you planning to get your machine into the business premises? If it is too wide to go through existing doors, then removing roof panels is a viable option. However, consult a roofing expert to discuss how many panels and whether the roof trusses have enough space for the machine to fit through.
Look Down
Next, take a look at the ground surrounding your business premises from the perspective of a crane driver. In particular, ask yourself what options may pose a barrier when the crane enters your property to get close to your building. For example:
- Is the entire surround of your building concreted? If not, is there soft soil which would make the crane unstable while lifting? If so, ask your crane hire representative what needs to be put down to make the ground level and safe.
- Are there are piles of rocks around that need to be relocated before a crane gets close to the building? A landscape company can help you safely move these if necessary.
- Do you need to relocate your outside skip bins before the crane arrives? Skip bin companies need some notice to do this for you.
- Do you need to relocate employee parking the day of the lift? If employees cars are parked beside the building, arrange for them to be parked out on the street on lifting day just in case anything goes wrong.
Look Around
Lastly, walk out to the street and imagine yourself as the crane driver. Walk through the path you anticipate the crane driving with a view of locating any other obstacles that will get in its way. Ask the crane representative how wide the crane vehicle is so you can measure your gate access point. Arrange for the temporary removal of fencing if it restricts the entry by the crane to your premises.
Lastly, relocate your staff from the premises during the lifting event so only critical staff remain behind. Doing this means in the rare event of a crane or lift failure, the potential for employee harm is reduced to its bare minimum. If you don't want to give them the full day off, at least give them an extended lunch break during the lifting operation.
Mobile crane accidents are rare, but they do happen. Being the second set of eyes for the crane company before it arrives means your worksite is safe as can possibly be, and that enhances the chances of your machinery lift going off without incident.
