Understanding the Dangers of Side Pulling
Whether you're working on a construction site or inside a warehouse, the work environment can get a bit hectic at times. But a fast-paced work environment isn't an excuse to start cutting corners, especially when it involves performing potentially unsafe actions just to save time and effort. Unfortunately, side pulling is an all-too-common action that can have serious and even potentially deadly consequences for crane workers and workers on the ground.
Side Pulling Defined
Overhead and gantry cranes are specifically designed to lift and lower loads vertically. When this equipment operates outside of its specific design parameters, it can result in unexpected wear and tear and possibly put nearby workers at risk. Side pulling occurs when a load is lifted horizontally instead of vertically. This often happens when an operator decides to pull materials from an adjoining bay instead of having them pulled properly.
While this seems like an innocent action that saves several steps, side pulling often comes with a variety of disastrous and unexpected consequences.
Why Side Pulling is So Dangerous
It can be tough to see the dangers of side pulling, especially when loads are well below the crane's lifting capacity. However, side pulling can create dangerous conditions that can result in equipment failure or even harm to the operator and others nearby.
Performing a side pulling action pushes the crane's individual components well past its mechanical limitations, even if the load being pulled is well within load limits. Here are a few consequences that could happen as a result of side pulling:
- Side pulling can cause the crane's wire rope to jump out of its grooves and chafe against the drum or remaining rope, causing severe damage to the rope as well as excessive wear on the drum.
- In some cases, side pulling can cause the wire rope to jump the drum completely and cut into the hoist or trolley itself.
- Side pulling can also place tremendous stress on the crane's structure, resulting in hidden damage that reduces the structure's overall integrity. This damage can result in reduced longevity and an increased likelihood of sudden and potentially catastrophic failure.
In extreme cases, side pulling can cause the wire rope to snap altogether, creating an extremely dangerous situation as the wire rope whips through the air and whatever load was being carried plummets to the ground. This is a situation that could easily result in serious or even fatal injuries.
What Can Be Done About It
For supervising personnel as well as maintenance and plant operations managers, side pulling is an issue that deserves reprimand whenever seen in action without proper preparation or authorization. In fact, OSHA regulations prohibit side pulling unless it's specifically authorized by responsible person and the stability of the crane itself is monitored and verified. Any instance of side pulling by crane operators outside of these specific conditions should be met with retraining and reaffirming the dangers of performing such risky actions.
Ultimately, the responsibility for preventing side pulls lies with the crane operator. It's important for crane operators to understand the risks involved in performing side pulling actions and perform vigorous training to avoid such dangerous actions. Every load intended for lifting via overhead or gantry crane must be lifted vertically as intended by the crane manufacturers and in accordance with safety regulations.
If there is evidence of side pulling, it's important for the lifting equipment to undergo thorough inspection for signs of damage or wear to the structure as well as vital lifting components. It's only when this equipment is able to pass inspection that it should be placed back into service. To learn more about crane operation, visit resources like https://amquipinc.com/.