Enhancing Safety: How Cranes are Transforming the Tree Care Industry
According to the Tree Care Industry Association and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the tree care industry (tree trimmers and pruners, loggers, climbers, etc.) has a fatality rate of 110 per 100,000 workers, 30 times higher than the all-industry average.
Because a large portion of fatalities are related to falls, slips, and trips (40 percent), there is a trend among tree service providers to utilize cranes and specialty crane attachments. This enables workers to gain access to hard-to-reach places while keeping them out of harm’s way.
However, when deciding to implement new equipment like a crane into your day-to-day operations there are a lot of things to consider. An article from the Fall 2023 issue of ArborTimes titled “Safety Within Reach,” does a great job of sharing the benefits of using cranes for tree removal. The article also mentions that most tree care companies prefer mobile cranes and knuckle boom cranes due to their improved flexibility and efficiency.
Any time you are using equipment with stabilizers or outriggers, it’s crucial to use outrigger pads and engineered supporting materials to reduce the likelihood of tip overs due to setup issues, and ground failure. The purpose of supporting materials is to spread concentrated pressures from equipment over a large enough area to levels the ground can withstand, or specified allowable ground bearing pressures. With proper planning, training, and the use of outrigger and stabilizer pads, job site accidents related to improper equipment stabilization are generally preventable.
Most knuckle boom cranes use stabilizers to increase its lifting range. The floats at the end of the stabilizers are generally very small, and even though the equipment is operated on rubber, the risk of excessive movement due to overloading the ground is very real. Therefore, engineered supporting materials such as outrigger and stabilizer pads should always be used.
Mobile cranes use outriggers and are operated off-rubber, meaning 100 percent of the weight of the crane, counterweight, equipment, and the load being picked is transferred to the ground through the outriggers. These loads and pressures can be very high and will typically be greater than the ground can support. Because of this, it’s important to use outrigger or crane pads with sufficient strength, stiffness, and area to prevent the crane from tipping over. [MM1]
The selection of products should be based on the loads and pressures generated by the equipment, allowable ground bearing pressure and other common field needs including setting up on slopes or hillsides.
SafetyTech Outrigger Pads are a favorite safety tool used by operators in other industries when setting up mobile cranes and knuckle boom cranes. SafetyTech pads are engineered for everyday use, and deliver excellent strength, stiffness, and toughness in a lightweight package. SafetyTech pads will not absorb moisture and will not rot, splinter, or degrade over time. Patented TuffGrip Handles make SafetyTech pads easy to move and place.
DICA’s FiberTech Outrigger Pads are an ideal solution when extra rigidity is needed, and weight is a concern. Made from Fiber Reinforce Polymer (FRP) material with crush ratings starting at 600 psi and rated capacities up to 240,000 lbs. Like SafetyTech pads, FiberTech Outrigger Pads are an engineered solution that will not absorb moisture, are non-conductive, and chemical resistant. These pads can be used alone or as part of a multi-pad set-up. FiberTech is an economical, high-performance load distribution solution with equipment such as mobile cranes, high-reach aerial devices, and more.
DICA’s Everyday FIT Process helps customers define their needs so we can help them select products with the appropriate strength and stiffness. See DICA’s resources, Crane Pad and Outrigger Pad Sizing Graph and 10 Tips for a Successful Crane Setup for best practices.