Institution news
Please could you briefly explain your role, involvement and experience with regards to Crane Safety
Alistair Ringer (AR): As Engineering Manager for Kier Professional Services, I lead teams providing Temporary Works design and advice across most construction sectors. My specific focus with regards to Crane Safety is the safe design and deployment of outrigger mats, ensuring maximum outrigger loads are correctly determined and the proposed mats and ground have adequate capacity to resist those loads.
What are the main challenges facing the industry at the moment?
AR: The contracting environment introduces numerous technical and contractual interfaces which complicate the Temporary Works management process. Ensuring relevant parties have the necessary competency and communicate effectively with one another is an ongoing challenge. This is particularly true for Temporary Works for construction plant, where many of those involved may be from a mechanical rather than a civil/structural/geotechnical background.
What are your top tips when tackling a new lifting challenge?
AR: Don’t forget that the crane is only half of the challenge! There will almost always be Temporary Works involved, which requires the input of a suitably competent civil/structural/geotechnical engineer, from the earliest possible opportunity.
What are your top tips for everyday lifts?
AR: Several:
- Ensure the maximum potential outrigger loads have been identified by careful consideration of every step of the lifting process, including rigging and de-rigging.
- Determine what area the outrigger loads need spreading to in order not to overstress the ground.
- Ensure that the proposed outrigger mats have been assessed and found to have adequate strength and stiffness to spread the maximum load to the required area – just because the mat is big enough doesn’t guarantee that it is strong/stiff enough!
What developments in the crane industry either technology or techniques, are you most interested in for the future and why?
AR: Digitalisation offers significant opportunities to improve safety assessment and collaboration between parties.
I would like to see crane control systems and their associated software develop so that they automatically consider all rigging and de-rigging permutations when calculating maximum outrigger loads. I would also like to see the maximum outrigger load (for which specific Temporary Works have to be planned) to be afforded the same automated warning and cut-off as the Rated Capacity Indicators and Limiters for the crane itself.
Why is it important for engineers to join this year’s Crane Safety seminar?
AR: Crane stability is one of the highest risk areas of Temporary Works due to the typical consequences should a failure occur. It is essential that mechanical engineers have a sound appreciation of the Temporary Works procedure and specific technical aspects associated with common crane lifts, and when and where to go for additional assistance.
Crane Safety 2022 will take place on 13 September in London
Join us at the Institution's London Headquarters in September to address the key challenges involved carrying out with safe crane operations. Presentations will cover recent lifting projects across a wide variety of projects and industries, together with technical insights and industry best practice to reduce the risk of incidents, maintain compliance with standards and make the most of new and novel technologies: full details and registration at www.imeche.org/cranesafety.