The majority of injuries and fatalities in the exploration & production industry happens during lifting & hoisting activities. The precarious nature of the operation of hoisting equipment requires specialised skills and stringent safety measures.
People don’t always follow the rules when it comes to safety. Some workers feel they’re experienced and don’t need to follow the operational manual when it comes to hoisting equipment. They forget these precautions are put in place to protect them from serious injuries.
On the other hand, some safety manuals can be exhaustive with all the dos and don’ts stipulated in it. It’s hard to blame anyone for getting fatigued with all the minute details, right? To help you out we’ve compiled five golden rules you can use when you’re hoisting equipment or doing a lift.
These rules will guide you into doing safer lifting and hoisting practices on site. We’ll start by sharing the fundamental principles of lifting and hoisting first.
Are you ready for lift-off? Let’s go.
Fundamental Principles of Lifting and Hoisting
- Careful planning: Before any lift or hoist can be done successfully it needs to be planned in detail. Any deviation from the original plan requires you to pause the lift and check if it’s safe to continue. You should also mitigate any potential risks and hazards during the planning phase.
- Controlling: Decide beforehand who’ll be in charge of the lifting operation. The person in charge (PIC) will approve the lift plan and oversee the entire operation. Everyone involved in the lifting procedure will be assigned a task.
- Expertise: Everyone involved in the lifting and hoisting operation must be competent & possess the necessary skills to perform their task. Where a team member lacks expertise they should be trained and regular refresher training should be a prerequisite for all staff.
- Stability: It’s vital to check the integrity of the load to ensure it doesn’t exceed the maximum capacity of the equipment. You’ll also need to ensure the load remains stable while lifting.
Check Your Equipment before any Lift or Hoist
Yes, you’ve read this in the operating manual many times, right? It’s one of the rules you simply can’t ignore because of the huge risk faulty equipment poses to you and your colleagues. If you fail to do the pre-check you can:
- End up with hoisting equipment that’s not set up properly
- Faulty lifting equipment that breaks during a lift
- An expired certificate of thorough examination on machinery
Vector Lifting provides a comprehensive selection of air hoists and accompanying accessories tailored to suit various monorail and crane setups. Additionally, our air hoists are offered in ATEX-approved, intrinsically safe configurations, ensuring their suitability for use in potentially hazardous environments with explosive atmospheres.
Never Lift or Hoist Equipment from a Truck Bed
This happens more often than operators would care to admit. It’s very tempting to jump onto the truck bed to position loads for lifting and hoisting. It’s easy and convenient but comes at a significant safety risk because the truck bed isn’t stable and secure enough to prevent a fall or injury.
It’s best to rather use hydraulic lifts that can position and lift the load in these instances. Don’t put yourself at risk.
Continuously Top-Up Your Training
There’s always new processes and equipment being introduced to the industry. It’s the nature of business and our ever-evolving world. Make sure you keep updated with new trends and get the relevant training to stay competitive in your work but still safe in all you do.
The training you’ve received at the start of your career isn’t adequate for a lifetime. You’ll need to continuously top up your skills. Think of training as an ongoing practice that’ll make you knowledgeable and safer at work.
Consider the Human Element
When you’re planning a lift factor in the human element. Humans are flawed and often make mistakes. Factors affecting performance during an operation and that can jeopardise the safety of everyone include:
- A toxic work culture that doesn’t promote safety adequately
- Poor people management
- Low morale of staff that leads to poor concentration and lack of commitment
- Lack of training and incompetence
Communication is Key
To perform a successful lifting and hoisting operation you need to communicate clearly with all staff involved. Poor communication and misunderstandings can lead to serious injuries & fatalities.
Before the lifting operation commences the PIC must explain in detail what needs to happen. The PIC will verify if everyone understands before the operation continues.
If signals are required during a lift, a specific person will be assigned the role of signaler. He or she will be the only person communicating with clear signals to the operator doing the lift. It’s vital that no one distracts or interrupts this process when a lift is in progress.
Final Thoughts
Following a bunch of rules isn’t always fun but they might save your life one day. There’s a saying that goes “Rules are meant to be broken” but in this instance, rules are meant to keep you safe.
Hoisting and lifting equipment is dangerous if not done correctly. There’s also a huge responsibility for each team member in this kind of operation to do their part. Taking special precaution is one way of showing you care about the wellbeing of your fellow team members.
Do the right thing and embrace these rules as nuggets of wisdom that’ll save you any regrets in the future.
