The crane is an indispensable piece of equipment within the warehouse, boasting numerous varieties that perform a myriad of functions within the workplace. Additionally, it is often accompanied by a plethora of misconceptions, ranging from those related to limit switches, overloading concerns, side pulling, and even routine inspections.
Why are these misconceptions regarding cranes so widely prevalent and pervasive?
In today’s world, virtually every product we encounter bears a precautionary label. Many of them even boast multiple warning mechanisms, manifested through signs, indicator lights, and labels alike. Given this ubiquitous presence of safety notices, it is astonishing to observe how often we overlook the straightforward warnings against overloading in the overhead cranes utilized within warehouses.These myths stem directly from a misguided comprehension held by one or more individuals, which is rooted in a solitary incident that inadvertently reinforced the erroneous belief.
Let us look at the most common instances and spread the necessary awareness, which can save many factory equipment and even lives.
Overloading
Frequently, we encounter situations in work environments where workers erroneously perceive it acceptable to overload cranes. They argue that manufacturers incorporate a significant safety margin during crane construction, implying that it can withstand occasional additional loads with ease.
In practice, the safety factor incorporated during the manufacturing process does not stem from intentional manual overloading. Additionally, the safety factor is not necessarily designed into the entire crane system as a whole; rather, it may or may not be included in select working components. If the crane system is integrated into a building that lacks a safety factor of its own, the likelihood of the crane also lacking an adequate safety factor increases significantly. Consequently, when the load exceeds a certain threshold, the entire system could potentially fail. Therefore, we strongly recommend integrating a load indicator into the crane system to ensure safe operation.
Upper limit switch
The upper limit switch has unfortunately been subject to numerous misconceptions. When operating overhead cranes, a common misconception arises that one can continue lifting until the upper limit switch is activated. Many crane operators mistakenly believe that this approach offers the opportunity to attain maximum height, facilitating the easy movement of materials. However, this understanding is flawed, as the upper limit switch’s primary purpose is to avert a collision between the hook assembly and the drum. Operators often misinterpret the upper limit switch as an operational tool rather than the safety device it is intended to be. In the event of its malfunction, the hook block would collide with the drum, leading to the rope’s failure and ultimately, the load’s drop.
Side pull
The third most common misconception with cranes is regarding side pull. This myth is much observed in the case of overhead cranes.The issue with side pull is that it causes multiple hazardous conditions, which are as follows.
- Primarily, the wire rope can come out of the grooves and scrub against the drum or the remaining rope, hence damaging them.
- In some cases, the rope might also jump the drum and also tangle around the shaft, increasing the stress on the rope further.
- Side pull might also cause excessive stress in ways unimaginable to the everyday worker. For instance, let us consider a bridge beam that is taller than its width as it is vertically loading.
When the crane pulls at a 45-degree angle, the stresses on it will be equally distributed both laterally and vertically, posing a potential risk to the structural integrity of the bridge beam, even with a load that is merely half of its rated capacity.
