Companies need machinery moving quite frequently. Other than new companies which set up and require heavy machinery, many times when a business decides to relocate or grow, it needs to move machinery. In the field of construction, shipyard, and other such industries, machinery moving is required on a more frequent basis than it is done otherwise. Machinery moving is also referred to as rigging which is the process of lifting hardware or heavy equipment by attaching them to heavy objects. A load or heavy objects can also be hooked to a lifting device, using resilient and durable slings, for the purpose of transportation.
Machinery moving is a highly demanding job which requires the utmost caution and care. Since the objects involved in this process are heavy and vulnerable, the amount of risk that exists in this process is also high. Therefore, they are safety measured which must be taken to ensure well-being of the people working on that project, and also to avoid hazards for the surroundings. It is important to go through the rigging requirements enshrined in OSHA to ensure workers’ safety. Some of the safety requirements for moving heavy machinery are regular maintenance of rigging equipment, training and educating the employees, monitoring and inspection of site and equipment, and other such measures. This article discusses top five tips for ensuring safety during machinery moving.
1. Hardware and Equipment Inspection
Every piece of rigging equipment or hardware must be inspected thoroughly by an expert to ensure its safety. Checking it once is not enough. It must be inspected before every shift of its use because every time it is used, the equipment’s state is affected to some level, so does its performance. In order to ensure the safety and success of a project, it must be mandatory to use only those rigging equipment that are in their perfect state. If you come across a small problem, do not overlook it assuming it to be harmless in the initial state because during its use it can aggravate and become a safety hazard for people and the surroundings.
2. Repair or Replace Defective pieces
During inspection, if you come across any defective hardware or equipment, remember that it must never be used for machinery rigging. We suggest to get it repaired or get rid of it at your earliest. Let’s say if you don’t use it in one project, but it keeps lying around, there is still a chance that it can be mistaken as good equipment and can be used in some project later on.
3. Know the safe working zone
Before getting started on any project, it is important to identify its safe working conditions and instructions. Make sure that you know about the highest amount of weight that can be lifted using a particular machinery model. You should also bear in mind the types of hitches used, good angles for carrying out a work, identification marks, and other such information. Once you know a machine inside out, its capacity and weak points, you can work with it more confidently and firmly.
4. Maintain a Safe Distance
During handling a load, i-e while loading and unloading heavy machinery, it is important to make sure that all the employees maintain a certain distance from loading trucks. It does not matter if you have taken all the measures to ensure safety and you are 100% certain about the foolproof-ness of your safety measures. Anything can happen any time. Not all factors are in human being’s control. Therefore, it is desirable for all people working on a project to keep a safe distance while loads are lifted or descended at the desired location. This will prevent people from any safety hazard which might take place due to mishandling or mishap. We highly recommend that you must draw lines on a site which should restrict entries and mark that a zone is not to be trespassed by employees or other members which heavy machinery is being worked on.
5. Know the Instructions
In order to ensure the durability of the rigging equipment and hardware, it is advised and recommended that you must know manufacturer’s instructions on handling certain piece of machinery. Moreover, you can ensure safety and security of rigging by regular servicing and inspection of the rigging equipment.
Final Words
Lawson Inc. is a reliable and reputable machinery moving company which ensures a project is carried out as per safety protocols. For machinery rigging and heavy equipment moving, get in touch with us. We will take it from here.
