What are the Safe Working Load Guidelines for Lifting Operations
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[edit] Introduction
The failure or misuse of any lifting equipment has the potential to cause serious or fatal injuries, significant damage to the property, and loss of time, money, and resources. Lifting and loading activities pose great risks to health and incur costs to businesses, therefore, it is important for employers and managers to properly resource, plan, and organise operations to control hazards to a minimum.
[edit] What is lifting equipment?
Any machinery, tools, or apparatus used at work are defined as work equipment. Lifting equipment is a subset of work equipment. It is defined as work equipment for lifting or lowering loads and additional attachments for fixing and supporting these operations.
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) require employers to have adequate preventive measures to control and mitigate the health risks associated with lifting and loading activities.
[edit] What do employers need to do to manage lifting equipment?
Under these regulations, employers and managers have to consider a few factors:
- They must provide suitable equipment to the staff carrying out such work
- They must inspect Lifting equipment & operations regularly for any risk
- The lifting equipment must be maintained in good order
- Employers provide adequate training to the staff and workers to work safely with lifting and loading equipment
- Employers must conduct a thorough examination of their work & lifting equipment
With regards to LOLER regulations, employers may also need to:
- Ensure that lifting equipment is planned, organized, supervised, and conducted by skilled persons
- Provide lifting equipment that is suitable and stable for work
- Thoroughly examine the work equipment and report any defects found during the work
[edit] What is Safe Working Load?
A safe working load or SWL is a set of values based on the strength or stability of work equipment when lifting. It is the maximum load a piece of equipment can safely lift in a predefined configuration.
[edit] Examples of Lifting Equipment
Below are some typical examples of lifting equipment in a work environment specifically in construction:
[edit] 1. Hoist
A hoist is a device used for lifting or lowering the loads using lift wheels around which the rope wraps. The hoist is manually operated and electrically driven and uses rope as a lifting medium. The rope may be of chain, wire, or fiber.
[edit] 2. Crane
Crane is a type of machine generally equipped with a hoist and is used to lift and lower heavy materials. Numerous types of cranes can be seen in the construction and industrial sector, like:
- Tower crane. It is a balance crane consisting of some basic parts and offers height and high lifting capacity
- Telescopic crane. This type of crane consists of numerous tubes fitted one inside the other and is used for short-term construction projects
- Crawler crane. It is a type of crane that is mounted on the undercarriage with a set of tracks also known as crawlers. These crawlers provide stability and mobility
[edit] 3. Telescopic Handler
It is a type of crane with the versatility of a single telescopic boom that can extend forward and upward from the vehicle. Several attachments can be fit on the other end of the boom like a bucket, pallet forks, etc.
[edit] 4. Fork Lift Truck
A forklift truck is a powdered industrial truck with a hydraulic lift system and forks to lift and transport materials and heavy objects.
[edit] What are the Safe Working Guidelines for Lifting Operations?
Below are some safe working load guidelines for lifting operations that employers need to incorporate within their work environment:
[edit] 1. Planning
Planning is the most crucial step for safe loading and lifting operations. The planning of individual routine lifting operations may be the duty of those who undertake them. But for more complex activities a written plan should be in place with the assigned roles, adequate training, vital knowledge, and skills.
The training could vary from organisation to organisation and depending on the nature of the work. But more or fewer employers must provide essential training courses like lifting operation courses, manual handling training, lone worker training, risk assessments for lifting operations, and other similar courses.
Other key factors that are involved with proper planning are:
- Strength & Stability: The lifting equipment used for the dedicated task must provide an adequate factor of safety for every type of failure or risk. This requires a proper assessment of the strength and stability to ensure the equipment is safe to use.
- Position & Installation: The equipment must be positioned in a way that minimises the need to lift over people. Employers must have preventive control measures to reduce the risk of load drift, load falling, or the equipment releasing unintentionally.
[edit] 2. Supervision of Lifting Operations
The right kind of supervision is the most crucial step in minimising the risk. Employers must take account of the competency and the work experience their staff and workers have and provide the required guidance and training to do the job safely.
[edit] Summary
Lifting and loading operations can be dangerous at times and can result in severe accidents or injuries. The responsible persons must have vital control measures with skilled personnel to do the job safely and securely to develop and maintain a secure workplace.
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