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How to Configure Your Equipment Carefully When Working at Height

11 September 2018

Johnny Richardson

If your organisation specialises in renovation work, you may have an impressive portfolio linked to projects that you have completed in your region. You may be used to working in supermarkets or other "high street" stores, or similar facilities that tend to be built at or near to street level. However, you have been presented with a project which is anything but low level, and in fact is located on the highest floor of a "skyscraper." To carry out your work effectively, you're going to need to hire a crane, but you've never done this before. What do you need to know about the crane hire process?

Careful Planning

This job is going to take some time to complete, and you will need the crane for a period of weeks, if not months. As this is not a "one-off" hire, then you will have to put even more work into the planning stage. Remember, attention to detail is going to be crucial here if this costly hire is going to be budget-friendly.

Room to Play With

Firstly, work out how much room you've got to play with on the ground floor where the cab of the crane is going to be based, as well as on the upper levels. The operator will need plenty of room to maneuver without any obstruction, but you will also need to create an exclusion zone at ground floor level.

Stability Is Everything

Will you be able to park this crane on a level surface and make sure that it is on stable ground? Remember to take into account any outriggers that will provide the most stability, and take steps to improve the surface beneath if you need to. When the crane is extended, it can be particularly vulnerable to high winds, so stability is everything.

Insurance and Inspection

As you can imagine, your liability could be quite high here, and you need to talk with your insurance representative to make sure you're covered. Also, you will need to satisfy inspectors who will be appointed by your local government and will be keen to ensure that your operation is structurally sound.

Experienced Workers

Finally, always make sure that you bring in an operator who is experienced in handling this type of machine and is trained to the best possible standard. You will also need to ensure that you hire workers to "rig" the crane efficiently and to decommission it when all is done.

All the Details

Make sure that you discuss all these details with your crane hire specialist so that you don't leave any stone unturned.

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