Should Cameras Be Included in Crane Safety Training?

Any company which deals with cranes on the job site on a regular basis is aware of the benefits of crane safety training. In fact, equipment and safety training is a vital investment to any such business. Not only to crane operators and those who use hoisting equipment deserve to have the very best in safety training, but so do the ones who must work around them. We have shown in several articles how crane safety can be expanded tremendously with HoistCam’s cameras on cranes. That brings us to one question: Should cameras be included in crane safety training?

There is no such thing as a routine lift. Each and every move made by a crane operator could end badly f just one tiny mistake is made. For every lift, one must consider the people on the job site, equipment, machinery, and the working conditions such as weather, ground texture and stability, and more. Crane safety training addresses all of this and more while preparing the crane operator to be ready for anything that could occur.

Part of that training, of course, is learning how to communicate adequately with riggers and workers below. By learning hand signals and radio training, the crane operator learns how to maintain constant communication with these workers. Until recently, this was the only way that the crane operator could get an idea of what was happening on “blind lifts.” Blind lifts are those where the crane operator cannot see his load or where it is being placed, and must depend solely on that communication with the riggers and workers. But that was before HoistCam’s cameras on cranes.

By placing a cameras anywhere on the crane or on the job site, the crane operator can now see every minute of every lift. These cameras can be placed anywhere that will give the crane operator the line of sight that he needs. With a simple glace down at a monitor in his cab, he can see the load, and any potential issues. If something suddenly moves into the path of the crane boom, if the load is not secured properly, or any other issue occurs, the crane operator can now double check for himself instead of depending completely on the workers.

With this huge leap in convenience and safety, one has to ask whether or not crane operators should be trained using these cameras. Of course, it is vital that crane operators are trained to use hand signals and radio communication, but learning to use cameras on cranes and the monitors in the cab cold only be an added benefit. By learning all about new ways to ensure safety on the work site, the crane operator can be prepared for whatever may come.