12 Safety Tips and Hand Signals

12 Safety Tips

1) Conduct regular inspections of your crane to identify and correct mechanical problems.

2) Make sure the operator is familiar with the crane before sending it out on a job.

3) Maintain a safety margin of 20 ft. between the crane and high-voltage power lines. (Although 10 ft. is the generally accepted clearance requirement, signs incorporate various metal parts that are 10 ft. or longer (retainers, cladding, etc.). These could contact the power lines during sign installation, hence the 20-ft. safety margin. If you must work closer than 15 ft. from power lines (sometimes necessary), contact the power company and arrange to have the power lines booted (covered with insulating sheathing). Most power companies charge a sizable fee for this service, so be sure to survey the job in advance and figure the cost into your pricing. Under no circumstances install any sign closer than 10 ft. from power lines.)

4) Deploy all outriggers to level the truck bed and use wheel chocks before operating the crane.

5) Never place outrigger jack-tube plates on natural earth or asphalt surfaces without timber shoring.

6) Never hoist a load with a worker in the basket or without a safety hook.

7) Always hoist loads with the crane’s tip directly over the load.

8) Make sure that lifting hardware is attached securely to the main supports of the sign.

9) Operators must never leave the controls unattended or permit distractions while using a crane.

10) Make sure that you have tag lines attached and enough boom extended to reach the mounting point before hoisting the load.

11) Hoist loads in unobstructed areas, where they will not be suspended any longer than necessary over workers’ heads.

12) Use only slow, smooth movements of the crane and follow the hand signals of the person performing the attachment work.

Common Hand Signals for Crane Operations