Using technology to address crane hazards: New report from NSC

Washington — The National Safety Council has published a new report highlighting technology solutions that have the potential to reduce the risk of injury and death when working in and around cranes.

The report was released through NSC’s Work to Zero initiative and developed in partnership with the NCCCO Foundation, which promotes crane safety through education, research and workforce development. The resource expands on a previously published report summarizing the findings of a survey of more than 2,000 certified crane operators, riggers, signalpersons, directors and inspectors on safety in the crane industry.

Potential Technology Solutions to Address Hazards in the Crane Industry identifies 13 technologies, including:

• Camera systems and computer vision
• Ground-penetrating radar
• Load rotation and maneuvering devices
• Location geofencing
• Proximity sensors
• Robotics
• Wind-speed indicators

“While there are many serious risks associated with the crane industry – ranging from electrocution and boom collapses to crane overturns and being struck by a moving load – it’s clear more work is needed to improve safety in this important field,” said Katherine Mendoza, senior director of workplace programs at NSC. “There’s no better way to glean insights about potential solutions to mitigate risks than by learning from those impacted, which is why we partnered with the NCCCO Foundation to survey workers in the crane industry and identify hazards and technology innovations to reduce injuries.”

In addition to the report, NSC and the NCCCO Foundation have developed a case study on using drones for crane safety (for example, lift planning and emergency response planning) and another on using cameras to “view real-time video footage of the worksite and provide direct visibility of a load, the surrounding area and potential blind spots.”