Using crane mats or crane pads will help ensure a safe system of work on your construction project where lifting equipment is involved.
A construction site can be a dangerous place – vehicles, equipment, unstable ground, uneven surfaces all conspire to make accidents a very real possibility. As any responsible contractor knows, health & safety of both workforce and public is of paramount concern. In our latest blog, we look at how crane mats and crane pads can make a difference to your lifting operations.
When lifting equipment is involved, the stability of the crane is fundamental: crane mats or crane pads to support outriggers will be indispensable. Unstable or uneven ground means that lifting equipment will not have a sufficiently strong foundation for lifting operations to commence. And yet, it seems that many contractors do take the decision to proceed without crane mats or crane pads, leaving outriggers unsecured and cranes or other heavy lifting equipment prone to accidents.
You only need to look at websites such as craneaccidents.com to see the damage that can happen if a crane is set up on soft ground with insufficient support. Crane mats can also help where outriggers are to be positioned on surfaces of different levels. Closer to home than some of the accidents reported on craneaccidents.com, Vertikal.net has reported on ‘death wish’ scenarios at the Trafford Centre in Manchester where a self-drive truck mounted lift was spotted on at least 2 occasions not so long ago being used without crane pads to support unevenly placed outriggers (on one side, the outriggers were on the pavement, the other the road).
The Health & Safety Executive has issued some helpful guidance covering the use of cranes and how to assess and ensure safety of lifting operations. Careful planning will reduce the chance of accidents – and should the worst happen, you will be able to show that you did all that you could have done to prevent accidents by creating a safe system of work. Construction site preparation is a vital element of this – and the proper use of crane mats and crane pads is key.
Crane mats can provide the stability your equipment needs to ensure this part of your operation is safe. Premium crane mats manufactured from top grade timber will enable large scale lifting for heavy loads while providing the support your lifting equipment needs. It is vital to assess ground conditions and the loads to be lifted as well as taking into account the type of crane – or cranes – involved with the project you are working on before sourcing your crane mats. Once these factors have been taken into account, you can work with your crane mat supplier to identify the appropriate crane mats for the job.
We supply a wide range of crane mats to accommodate most scenarios. Available on a hire basis for the life of your project, or to buy, we can also ‘buy back’ crane mats at the end of the project if this is a more cost effective solution for you. Get in touch to see how we can fulfill your crane mat requirements!