Making Safety Second Nature for your Crew
Two common psychological traits that can affect how your team responds to safety standards are; the feeling of invincibility and hard-formed habits. The more convenient it is for workers to be safe, the more likely they are to act safe.
This is the principle behind Jared Raney’s article Safety Is About Convenience on page 18 of the May/June 2018 issue of Dig Different magazine.Conversely, as the author states, “It is easy to become complacent when safety means going out of your way.”
Making safety convenient involves having the right tools and making them easily accessible to crews. When it comes to selecting the appropriate outrigger pads and crane pads an understanding of the outrigger loads, and targeted ground bearing pressures is required. DICA and others recommend establishing an internal standard practice for determining the area of your outrigger pad or crane pads that is simple and consistent.
Additionally, it’s important to define what actions should be taken when actual needs fall outside of the defined standard. Once this standard is established crane and outrigger pads can be selected for each machine and consistent communication and training can be conducted.
To support the authors convenience message, outrigger pads should be ergonomically designed to make them easier to move and store. DICA’s TuffGrip® Handles are engineered to be comfortable and unbreakable and have handle lengths that encourage operators to use proper lifting technique. Round pads with patented recessed handles can easily be rolled into position, which reduces lifting stress and the potential for back injuries.
Tools and products should also be user friendly and easy to understand. DICA’s engineered products have published ratings and usage guidelines. DICA also provides model-specific owner’s manuals with all FiberMax® Mega Duty Crane Pads. Each manual includes inspection and usage guidelines, technical specifications, and warranty information.
As noted by the author, “Safety shouldn’t be a throwaway checklist item for any company. That being said, every organization has its own needs, and owners should think carefully about what is best for the operators.”