Institution news
Please could you briefly explain your role, involvement and experience with regards to Crane Safety.
Stephen Bradby (SB): As Engineering Leader for Select, my role is to constantly innovate to ensure we have class leading products and services. This included working closely with manufacturers and suppliers to ensure products are engineered to be as safe to use as possible – engineered safety is core to Select’s ethos.
What are the main challenges facing the industry at the moment?
SB: Safety remains our number one priority, ensuring items are intrinsically safe in every step of their life is essential. Sustainability is also setting new standards and issuing challenges on how we procure and capitalise machinery which may not be emissions compliant for many sites within its normal life with Select is exceptionally difficult.
How have you been affected by Brexit in your operations?
SB: The combination of Brexit and Covid have created a huge amount of supply issues which have delayed new equipment, made spare parts hard to source and pushed prices up.
What are your top tips when tackling a new lifting challenge?
SB: Stop, think, plan, think, then plan again – the big operations often prove to be safer because of the amount of planning, we need to have the same rigour in every operation we undertake.
What are your top tips for everyday lifts?
SB: Plan, plan, plan, ideally at the design phase, specify anything you buy or hire to come with positive lifting points and ideally a lift plan.
What developments in the crane industry either technology or techniques, are you most interested in for the future and why?
SB: Telematics – everyone assumes they know how their cranes work, but they don’t really know. Telematics and smart load monitoring are key to understanding site productivity.
Why is it important for engineers to join this year’s Crane Safety seminar?
SB: It is vital to attend, as it will keep you ahead of developments in the lifting industry that could really improve lifting safety.
Crane Safety 2021 returns as a live, online seminar on 8 September 2021.
Bringing together industry regulators (Health and Safety Executive, Office for Nuclear Regulation), government bodies (BEIS), member organisations (LEEA), manufacturers (Liebherr) plus crane operators and hire companies, don't miss your chance to hear all the latest updates affecting safe and efficient crane operation in one day.
For full details and to book your place please visit the event website.