Safe Load Indicators – A Must Have for Crane Operators

Safe Load Indicators – A Must Have for Crane Operators

On April 10, 1997, two people, one a crane operator with Lonnie Crane Service, and the second a longshoreman who also worked as a crane operator, were using a hydraulic crane to unload crates from a ship in the port of Los Angeles at Rio Doce Pasha.

Having already made one pick during the morning, the two men were on their second pick when the accident occurred. According to the paperwork, the weight of the second load was 138,600 lbs, and the crate was marked 139,040 lbs. The crane operator said that he was working with a 72 ft boom at a radius of 30 feet while the load chart for the crane only gave a capacity of 123,000 lbs for a crane at that boom length and radius.

Two attempts to lift the crate failed. Prior to the third attempt, the Lonnie Crane Service operator switched to a 12-part line. As the pick was being made, the longshoreman was standing on the side of the crane talking with the operator because he did not understand the longshoring terminology. The operator told the longshoreman that the safe load indicator on the crane showed 126,000 lbs, with the alarm going off and with the load not yet off the ground. A key was used to bypass the safe load indicator, and the longshoreman said the operator told him to hold the key so that the pick could be made. As the boom swung around to the end of the crane, the crane started to tip, causing the accident. Luckily, both men managed to escape the incident with only minor injuries.

SLI related phenomena

As the story above shows, a slight human misunderstanding like load mismanagement can end up causing accidents. If more proper attention had been paid to the Safe Load Indicator’s alarm then the entire accident could have been averted.

Ways to prevent these errors

1. Buying SLIs that are od good quality: Safe Load Indicators these days are much advanced than the ones in the 1990s. In a few instances the SLI may actually physically lock the machinery if it determines that the conditions are unsafe.

Also with the advent of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, many SLIs these days are wireless, eliminating the hassle of tangled wires causing potentially fatal accidents.

2. Patience and understanding: Although SLIs can help prevent untoward incidents from occurring, a key element that every crane operator should have is patience. The Lonnie Crane Service crane operator insisted on trying to life the crate, even though the SLI had already indicated that it was beyond the crane’s capacity to lift.

Cranes are heavy machines and being impatient and in a hurry to complete one’s work can lead to sloppiness, which could lead to a lapse of attention and result in accidents.

Conclusion

A little diligence and attention to details will help work progress. Patience, and attention to details is key to a crane operator and aided by well-functioning SLIs will help him to make work progress at a smooth rate while keeping everyone safe.

LSI Wireless offers the best Safe Load Indicators on the markets. CSA/ATEX certified, corrosion resistant, wireless, simple plug-and-play-installation, and cheap. You can buy your own Safe Load Indicator in no time.

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