DICA Exhibits at SC&RA Crane and Rigging Conference
In September, DICA exhibited at the SC&RA Crane & Rigging Workshop, held in Louisville, Ky. Informative education sessions addressed practical issues such as sling angle, moving oversize loads, tool management, lift plans and more.
One of the more intriguing sessions came from Dr. Jim Wiethorn, Chairman of the Board and Principal Engineer for Haag Engineering, on the hazards of service providers. Drawing from research Wiethorn has collected on hundreds of crane accidents, he shared some enlightening statistics.
- In nearly half (45%) of crane accidents, the crane is operated by a crane rental service provider.
- Of these, 87% had no lift plan and 53% had no pre-lift meeting.
- Additionally, the research has shown that 93% of all crane accidents are due to human error, and the position most directly responsible, in descending order, was: 1) crane operator, 2) lift director, 3) rigger, 4) site supervisor, and 5) signal person.
“Shedding light on accident trends is a valuable tool in helping us better understand the challenges our customers face in properly setting cranes up on the job site every day,” said Kris Koberg, CEO of DICA. “Dr. Wiethorn’s presentation and the research he has done will go far in improving the overall safety of this industry.”