Best Practices for Safe Set Up
As a basic practice, any device or equipment equipped with stabilizers or outriggers should use properly sized outrigger pads for every setup to improve stability, reduce ground bearing pressure and increase safety. An article from Custom One Truck dives into the different kind of outriggers for Truck-Mounted Cranes, and provides an Outrigger Safety Checklist.
When setting up any kind of equipment it is important to:
- Know the bearing strength of the ground and soils.
- Evaluate and improve the ground if needed.
- Know the maximum pressure the crane will exert on each outrigger during the operation, or the maximum outrigger reaction force.
- Use suitable outrigger pads or crane pads/mats to improve safety.
Tip overs due to ground failure account for 45% of crane accidents. Always inspect and understand the ground. Outrigger pads, crane pads and cribbing blocks are critical tools to mitigate accidents. However, the ground is ultimately supporting everything. For more in-depth information on safe set up, see DICA’s 10 Tips for a Successful Crane Setup.