Overhead crane training: an essential part of crane safety

Mike Giebler, Konecranes Technician

In today’s industrial environment there is decreasing tolerance for employers and facilities that allow untrained people to operate overhead cranes.

A well-structured training course should include both a classroom and a practical portion with an exam at the end to demonstrate the attendee’s knowledge and ability.

What knowledge does a trained operator have that an untrained operator may not possess?

• The ability to estimate a load weight
• The ability to find the center of gravity of a load
• How to properly select rigging and sling protection
• The effect of fleet angles on the capacity of a sling
• How to perform a pre-use inspection of the crane or hoist
• How to perform a pre-use inspection of the rigging gear
• The function of all controls, especially the e-stop
• The ability to smoothly start, stop and land a load
• General awareness of the potential hazards of crane use

Training operators in the safe and effective use of a crane is not only a requirement, but an investment in the safety of employees and the workplace. Training and licensing of crane operators is a good way to keep employees from being harmed through potentially unsafe acts performed by untrained crane operators.

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