Crane Warning System – Avoid Overload!

Crane Warning System – Avoid Overload!

There’s really no dictionary meaning out there and a "Crane Warning System" is what you interpret it to be. According to us, it is a combination of several equipments attached or unattached to the crane which prevent it from overloading. Modern-day Crane Warning Systems function automatically to the extent of halting the crane activities upon detecting an overload, thereby removing any requirement of manual halting. This ensures that any negligence of the personnel at work does not factor into any accident taking place.

Why is it needed?

The primary activity of a crane is to load and offload objects. Overloading is a major cause of accidents when it comes that. Overloading is caused due to incorrect measurements of several things starting from the boom angle, the rope length, inaccurate wind speed, welding defects in the jib and so on.

Types of Crane Warning Systems

There are various crane warning systems which prevent the crane from operating before the situation gets out of hand. Manufacturers around the world offer a variety of equipments to cater to your safety needs and you would have to take the advice of experienced personnel to choose the ones required for the task at hand. The warning system doesn’t just consist of one device but rather a number of safety devices working synonymously to prevent ‘overload’. So, you have the warning system using Load, Angle and Boom length to determine the weight being lifted by the crane – and of course, shutting down the operation before the crane actually overloads and has the danger to tip over or fall structurally.

In any case, to name some of the important Crane Warning Systems, here are a few:

The Anti-Two Block System

The Anti-Two Block System warns the person operating the crane in case a two-block is going to occur. (For all you folks who don’t know what a two block is, it occurs when the headache ball or hook block impacts with the tip of the boom). Most states across the world have it enumerated in their regulations that using an anti-two block is necessary.

Boom Angle Indicator

The Boom Angle Indicators are essentially displays which are mounted on the crane. They display the boom angle length. As an operator, you need to know the angle. Load Charts that are supplied by the manufacturers are for this purpose.

Hoist Drum Rotation Indicator

You might have seen accidents occurring because the hoist line rotated in the wrong direction and led to the collapsing of the load. A Hoist Drum Rotation Indicator indicates when the hoist drum is rotating in the wrong direction through its sensor and thereby prevents any specific accident from occurring.

Load Indicator

A Load Indicator gives an accurate measurement of the load which is being hoisted by the hook attached to the crane. Now this is important for obvious reasons. You must know the maximum lifting capability of your crane, and therefore, the load that you are lifting with it. Modern Load Indicators come with wireless communication features which automatically intimate the operator in case the load exceeds the specified limits.

Load Moment Indicator

Different from a Load Indicator, a Load Moment Indicator measures the weight of the load on the boom and displays the load, capacity, boom angle and radius to the person with the device (usually your crane operator).

While the above list is not exhaustive, it lists some of the key devices which together make up a Crane Load Warning System. LSI Wireless offers a comprehensive list of the different types of Crane Load warning system . You can check out the site to know the load limit by the different models or just install one to prevent the crane from going into an ‘overload’ situation!

Mike bode, the founder of lsiwireless.com, a global dealer of lsi-robway™ products.