crane lifting safety tips

The Top Ten List for Wind Safety at Height

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Wind is a major hazard when working at height, even on days that seem calm. Windy days can make working at height dangerous for everyone on the job-site.  Follow these best practices to ensure a safe job-site, no matter the weather.

#1: Keep Objects and Tools Secure

Be prepared by keeping objects and tools that are not in use well secured. Strong gusts can cause you to lose balance, blow tools and materials off of platforms, and weaken structures, so store materials and tools securely when not in use.

#2: Use a Wind Meter

General wind readings are usually taken at ground level and cover a large area, like a city or neighborhood. This makes them a useful tool for planning, but they don’t provide enough information to ensure safety on your job-site, especially when heights are involved. Wind speeds can increase by up to 50% at 20 meters above ground, which means a manageable breeze on the ground can translate to near gale force winds at height. Use one of our NAVIS wind meters to get accurate readings that reflect how your site is affected by gusts and how the surrounding buildings and landscapes are influencing wind currents.

#3: Don’t Underestimate Gusts

Even on calm days, gusts of wind are still hazardous, as they can come out of nowhere and travel up to two times faster than the average windspeed. Again, use a wind meter to monitor conditions, as you may need to quit working at height if gusts are too strong.

#4: Treat Flat Materials with Caution

Flat materials like sheets of plywood can easily turn into sails if hit by strong enough winds, and can drag people off heights or fall onto those working below. On windy or gusty days, make sure to carry flat materials horizontally in pairs and secure them tightly when not in use.

#5: Don’t React to Blowing Objects

Strong winds can blow away tools, hard hats, papers, and more, but at height it’s important to fight the immediate urge to catch blowing objects. It sounds counter-intuitive but reacting too quickly could cause you to lose your balance or could distract you from other hazards blowing toward you. If something begins to blow away, take a beat before retrieving it to ensure you can do so in a safe manner.

#6: Wear the right Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)

The right PPE could make the difference between a close call and a trip to the hospital. Wear eye protection on breezy days to keep out dust and debris, and make sure your hard hat is securely fastened to keep it from blowing off your head.

#7: Wear a Harness

No matter how uncomfortable or cumbersome it is, always wear a harness at heights of 1.5 meters and above, as 30% of fatal falls happen at heights of two meters or lower, and 50% happen at three meters or less.

#8: Don’t Make Covers Without Holes

It may be tempting to create a sheltered area in windy conditions (especially if they’re coupled with cold weather) but like sheets of material, covers made of tarp or plywood can tear away whatever anchor or platform they’re attached to if caught by a strong enough wind. We don’t recommend making these kinds of shelters, but if you must make a cover for yourself, cut holes in it to allow the wind to pass through without carrying it away.

#9: Know When to Stop Working

Losing a day of work is manageable, losing a co-worker to injury or worse is not. Create a plan to deal with windy conditions. We recommend this guide: Wilkins Safety Group’s Beaufort Scale Safety Guide, which details the precautions that should be taken at various wind speeds. It’s an extremely helpful tool in creating a safe plan.

#10: Always Inspect Your Structures

Strong winds over extended periods of time can cause structures to weaken or lean at unsafe angles. Always check over scaffolding, platforms and their anchor points after a wind storm to ensure they are still secure to work on, and that nothing has shifted that will cause them to fall or collapse.

Click here to learn more about wind safety devices. 

Click here to download a copy of this post for your files.

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crane lifting safety tips

Are Your Safety Practices Ready For Spring?

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Working at Height in the Spring: 10 Ways to Stay Safe
Written by: Jen Adams

Key Takeaway: Be prepared for unpredictable spring weather by keeping the job-site clean,
planning for the forecasted weather, using the right PPE, and taking thorough
safety precautions.

Temperatures may be rising, but spring brings its own set of risks (and borrows some from
winter) that need to be taken seriously. Keep these best practices in mind while you’re working
at height this season to stay safe while enjoying the breeze.

1. Always check the weather.

The only thing consistent about spring weather is that it changes consistently. Be prepared for
the heat or cold by checking the weather ahead of time and plan accordingly, and always be
prepared for sudden changes that could occur.

2. Complete thorough safety checks on all large equipment.

With inconsistent weather comes loose earth, mud that gets everywhere, and a higher risk
of rust when equipment is repeatedly soaked and left to dry. Always make sure to check
equipment and machinery before using it and stay up to date on safety regulations by
checking WorkSafeBC.com and using tools like Bigfoot’s Crane Academy.

3. Secure your materials.

High winds can pick up quickly in the spring and are often stronger the higher you work, as the
site is usually more exposed. Make sure the materials you are working with are secure at all
times to avoid injuries or falls from loose materials or objects blowing around.

4. Avoid using power tools in rainy or wet conditions.

Water is an excellent conductor of electricity. By using power tools in the rain or wet after a
rain, you not only run the risk of damaging your tools, but risk electric shock or electrocution if
any wires become exposed while you work. Play it safe and use hand tools where possible or
set up cover over your work area to keep the area dry.

5. Be wary of thunder and lightning storms.

Spring storms are especially dangerous to those working at heights, as lightning is drawn to
metal and tall structures. Monitor the weather report, be aware of your environment, and if the
weather looks dicey, don’t risk working in a storm.

6. Give yourself some traction.

Slipping is always a risk when working on the job-site but becomes even more so when working at
height on wet surfaces. Wear boots and gloves that fit well (make sure they are tight enough that
they can’t slip off, but not so tight as to cut off circulation) and have a lot of traction and grip to
prevent accidents.

7. Always wear appropriate fall PPE, even if working at a lower height.

Most fall-related accidents occur at 30 ft. or less because people view lower heights as less
dangerous, but it takes very little height for a fall to cause injury or even death. Height should be
treated seriously and with caution in any season, but mud and rain make it especially important
to utilize fall PPE in the spring.

8. Let your fall PPE dry naturally before its next use.

Drying equipment with an electric dryer or heater can weaken or melt the material, ruining the
equipment and putting its user at risk. Blot your equipment with towels and hang it up to dry
completely on its own whenever it gets wet, and always check it carefully before each use.

9. Dress warmly enough, and cool enough.

Spring weather may feel warm compared to winter, but its unpredictable nature means that
temperatures can drop to hazardous temperatures, especially when coupled with consistent
cold rains. Dress in layers to ensure you can always keep up with whatever cold or heat the day
throws at you.

10. Train staff to identify weather-based illnesses.

Heat and cold stress occur when the body either warms up faster than it can cool (resulting in
heat exhaustion or sunstroke) or cools down faster than it can warm up (resulting in frostbite
or hypothermia). While they happen more often in summer and winter, they can also strike in
temperatures that don’t seem very extreme. People working at heights can also be at a higher
risk as they tend to be more exposed to the elements. Make sure there are staff on site who are
trained to recognize and treat signs of heat and cold illnesses.

Click here to download: Working at Height in the Spring: 10 Ways to Stay Safe

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hoist operator training vancouver

Bigfoot Crane Company Inc. Now Approved for On & Off-Site Construction Hoist Operator Training

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Read more
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Paradox Hotel in Downtown Vancouver

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Raising the Roof Without Lowering Productivity

The Situation: The Paradox Hotel in downtown Vancouver needed a way to hoist all the pieces of the steel canopy at its podium up as high as seventy feet above street level. The crane had to stay in place for several months and operate within a narrow space between two existing high-rises, all without blocking the street and the sidewalk or interfering with a second crane on the same site.

Special Challenge 1: Busy street, busy sidewalk. Don’t block either. Ever.

The City of Vancouver would not allow a crane to block any part of West Georgia Street for long periods of time. The same went for the sidewalk. So, we engineered a twenty-foot stand over the sidewalk and set the self-erecting crane on top of that. People could easily pass underneath. One problem. We still needed City approval to block the street while the crane was lifted onto its stand. However, it turned out that we had another project at the Fortis Building just down the block which also needed a crane lifted onto the site. So, we waited several months for street closure approval, then piggybacked both jobs together on the same day, the Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s.

Special Challenge 2: Wide reach in a narrow space.

The steel for the building’s base canopy needed to be placed between two high-rises, which meant limited mobility for the crane. The Potain Self-Erecting Tower Crane features a hydraulic unfolding jib which allowed us to retract the jib throughout the project. When folded, the crane could swing out over the street to pick up steel from trucks and offload it onto the site. Once the steel was between the two buildings, the crane could fold its jib out to reach to all of the difficult places. By law, a self-erecting crane must be able to weathervane, slewing 360° when not in use. Since this crane couldn’t do this within the narrow space, we implemented an engineered tie-down to secure the jib when out of service.

Special Challenge 3: Choreograph a two-crane tango.

A tower crane was already working the site erecting the main structure tower, but it couldn’t be utilized to place the steel at the podium since it was working at capacity adding floors. We organized a safe work schedule and radio contact between both crane operators, allowing them to safely lift off different trucks in the same loading zone without interfering with each other.

The Solution in Summary: It was a tall logistical order, but we came up with an integrated plan that included:

  1. A 35-metre Potain HD40A Self-Erecting Tower Crane mounted on an engineered 20-foot stand set up over the sidewalk, allowing foot traffic to move freely underneath
  2. An innovative hydraulic jib allowed the crane to maneuver between the two high-rises
  3. Radio coordination between the two crane operators, which enabled smooth operations

To read the full case study, click here.

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Crane company

Our Role in Building Tomorrow

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In 2014, we bought the self-erecting, full-sized tower and training divisions of Eagle West Cranes and renamed ourselves the Bigfoot Crane Company. Since then, we have been an integral part of many construction projects in Western Canada, either selling or renting cranes.

When the market collapsed in 2008, the construction industry slowed down and therefore so did the need for cranes. Within a few years, however, the demand for cranes and crane services increased, our business returned and expanded, and we were optimistic about the future.

By 2015, our positive forecast for the coming year was an accurate picture of our industry, as shared by Crane & Rigging Hotline magazine in their February issue where they discussed the tower crane industry outlook for that year.

Part of why we love the work that we do is because we have the opportunity to be a part of something larger. For decades, we will see the buildings we’ve helped to build standing tall, offering themselves as landmarks, homes and workplaces for many people.

One of these projects is the new Trump International Hotel & Tower in Vancouver, BC. The twisting luxury tower made of glass and steel was 63 stories when it opened in February 2017.

Lift and Access magazine wrote an article explaining our role in this iconic building. In the construction process of the Trump International Hotel & Tower, the contractors were unsure how to put together the pieces of a steel canopy that was planned to be at 70 feet above the street between two high-rise buildings.

Fortunately, our Managing Director, Ryan Burton, was able to offer an innovative solution to the challenge, through the placement of a Potain HD40A self-erecting crane atop a 20 foot engineered platform. We rented the crane and platform to the construction team for three months, allowing them to set approximately 200 pieces of canopy, in addition to transporting other heavy materials around the work site.

Our team was glad to have the opportunity to offer our services to many important construction projects throughout Western Canada like the Trump Towers. As our region continues to develop and grow, we look forward to selling and renting the highest quality cranes and accessories available on the market.

photo via: www.huffingtonpost.com

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Self-Erect Crane – Deep Cove Solution

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Self-Erect Crane – A Rough Terrain Solution

With one of our more scenic jobs in picturesque Deep Cove, Eagle West Equipment (acquired by Bigfoot Crane Company) installed a 35 meter self erect crane with luffing jib on a really interesting residential job. The photos illustrate some of the problem solving scenarios that our self erect cranes can provide for builders who may find their projects in difficult position.

With limited ground space available to bring equipment and materials down to the site, the Eagle West Cranes & Equipment team (acquired by Bigfoot Crane Company) found the right solution for the builder and home owners to ensure that the building timeline could be still be met. Since the there was a 100′ cliff face at the backside of the house it was important to have a crane that would work in a difficult position on the jobsite. The jib of the crane need to be in a luff position (angled) in order to be able to miss the roughly 25 degree slope at the top of the cliff.

One of the photos shows the jib in luff over top of some of the terrain at the top of the cliff. There was very minimal clearance even with the jib in luff.

Pretty amazing project and an absolutely beautiful location for a house.

The challenge: One Large Ocean-side Cliff

The solution: Our 35 Meter Potain Self Erect with 30 Degree Luffing Jib

The client: Belmar Custom Homes

Mobilization: EWCE Placed the SE Crane onto Land Via a Barge and Crane Waterside

[prime_gallery width=”640″ height=”480″ desktop=”3″ tablet=”2″ mobile=”2″ autoresize=”true”]

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Boscaro Self Dumping Bin

Boscaro Self Dumping Bin Product Review

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The A-D Series Self Dumping Crane Bucket

Bigfoot Crane Company is your one-stop shop from the smallest of self erectors to some of the largest tower cranes in the market today, all complimented with the accessories you need to maximize on-site crane performance. Bigfoot Crane is the exclusive North American distributor of Boscaro Crane Attachments.

using crane buckets

 

Crane accessories like Boscaro’s Self Dumping Bins provide a payload up to 10,575 lbs, capacity up to 4 cu yd and a “no hands required” self dumping feature that can increase safety and efficiency on a project site.

dumping crane buckets

 

Eagle West Equipment (acquired by Bigfoot Crane Company) had the opportunity to do a live demonstration of the A300D self dumping bins for our customer, Northwest Construction Inc. We consulted with them about their project needs and highlighting how the accessories could help them on their project.

self dumping crane bucketscrane buckets

 

Eagle West Cranes & Equipment’s Safety Application Specialist, Derek Autenrieth commented “The live demonstration went very well. Larry and his team saw the safety and efficiency that our self dumping bins offer. They purchased two self dumping crane buckets and we look forward to opportunities to work with Northwest again.”

self dumping crane buckets by boscaro

 

Northwest Construction Inc. based out of Bellevue in Washington State, is a full service site work contractor specializing in commercial, industrial, and residential developments throughout the Pacific Northwest.

This is what they had to say about their purchase and application of two A300D Boscaro Self Dumping Bins:

“The product demonstration and video that Derek provided for us when we came to Eagle West was very informative and definitely helped us in making our decision to purchase the bins and understand their value for us and our projects. We appreciate the time and effort put in by Eagle West and will continue to look for any opportunity to do business with them again and again.”

Larry Smith
Project Manager
Northwest Contracting Inc.

 

 

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Spreader Bars for Lifting

EZ Spreader Bar Lifting System by Boscaro

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Revolutionize Your Use of Crane Spreader Bars

The use of spreader bars has many advantages; they protect your load from rigging materials, enable multi pick point lifts and ensure a maintained sling angle throughout your hoist.

Although the typical spreader bars of the industry have these benefits, their use comes with some drawbacks. Typical spreader bars, even when telescopic, have a maximum length. Once the needed length for a lift exceeds this, you will need to purchase another spreader bar. For anyone who performs a variety of hoists, this will require a variety of spreader bar sizes to be available.

crane spreader bars

 

With the Boscaro EZ spreader bar lifting system the need for an assortment of bars is eliminated. The unique design of male and female interlocking components provides you with multiple configurations. Each section can be utilized as an individual bar or the sections can be combined to form 1 adjustable spreader bar. “Jobs often require multiple lifts with varied size requirements. With this system I’ve been able to perform a pick with a 20 foot wide bar, change the configuration on site and proceed with a second lift using the bar at 14 feet. Normally you would need two sets of bars for that,” remarked Butch Garton, Crane & Rigging Specialist at Delaware based company, Active Crane Rentals, Inc. Based on 1 foot increments, Boscaro’s 8 foot system is adjustable from 7-34 feet; allowing you to adapt to the changing demands of your jobsite.

crane spreader bars lifting amtrak carhoist with ez spreader bar

 

Using the 8 foot spreader bar lifting system by Boscaro also helps to improve your lift capacity. The components feature a lightweight design yet are capable of a 35 ton capacity when used at 8 feet and 7 tons when adjusted to 34 feet.

pipe pull with crane spreader bars

 

The bars come galvanized, which increases durability and prevents paint chips due to repetitive movement. The lightweight build and the option to disassemble the components make transportation, assembly and storage of the system simple and time efficient. “Other bars are heavier and don’t come apart, so you can’t have the crew move them by hand,” noted Butch. “I can put my entire EZ spreader bar lifting system in my pickup truck, take it to the job and assemble it onsite in 15 to 20 minutes, without any assist equipment required.”

crane spreader bars placing trusses

 

The EZ spreader bar lifting system by Boscaro is available in a 4 foot or 8 foot system. The 4 foot option extends from 4-10 feet and has a capacity of up to 8 tons when fully extended. With a range of 8-34 feet the 8 foot kit option is rated for up to 7 tons at a 34 foot length. For further details about how the Boscaro EZ spreader bar lifting system can improve your efficiency and help manage project costs please contact Bigfoot Crane Company.

 

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san marco cranes

Case History: Westridge Discovers Tower Crane Efficiency

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Westridge Construction of Regina, Saskatchewan (westridge.ca) faced an interesting challenge.

They were under contract to build a $12 million, three-story office complex. Each floor was 20,000 square feet and there was a partial basement of 9,500 square feet. The project was to be a cast-in-place concrete structure with three staircase shafts and one elevator shaft. But those details were not what made this project challenging—it was the fact that the project site was so tight, with no access to the west or south side of the structure and very limited access to the east and north sides.

In fact, to say that the construction site was tight would be a significant understatement. Operating space was at a premium. Because of that, Westridge was in fact planning to use an off-site materials staging area, which seemed absolutely necessary, even though acquiring the yard and planning for extra materials transport would add significant cost to the project.

However, there was another solution, one that could improve site logistics and eliminate the need for an off-site yard (and its related costs). Really? What solution could possibly increase efficiency and decrease costs at the same time?

The answer? A San Marco SMH 420 Self-Erecting Tower Crane.

self erecting tower crane efficiency

In fact, the San Marco SMH 420 cut production time on this project by 45%.

(At the time, the tower crane was supplied by Eagle West Crane and Rigging. Since then, Eagle West’s entire fleet of tower cranes was acquired by Bigfoot Crane Company.)

The San Marco SMH 420 hydraulic self-erecting crane was definitely the right tool for the job. It has a hook service height elevation of 77′ and a jib length of 136′ 9″ providing a total service range of up to 273′ 6″. The crane has a maximum lifting capacity of 8,820 lbs and can lift 2,205 lbs at its jib tip.

More importantly, this crane did not require any concrete footings or foundations and has a foot print of just 14′ 9″ X 14′ 9″. Amazingly, the SMH 420 can operate inside just 324 square feet of yard space! Another key value of this crane is that it is possible to set up quickly, between four to eight hours after the components are delivered to the site.

Before the San Marco arrived on site, Westridge was adding floors using telescopic forklifts and manual labor. But when the crane arrived and was installed, Westridge was constructing floors in half the time, since all of the columns could be set and poured with the crane, while all of the slabs and shafts were poured with a concrete pump.

crane for tight job site

The crane saved on production time as all the columns could now be set and poured with the crane while all slabs and shafts were poured with a concrete pump.

According to Dave Labbie, the Project Superintendant, the use of the self erecting crane was able to increase the on-site service area by at least 50% while on-site production increased at a minimum of 45%.

office complex construction

According to Dave Labbie, the Project Superintendent, the use of the self-erecting crane increased the on-site service area by at least 50% while on-site production increased at a minimum of 45%.

Labbie further commented: “The Rod-Buster is very happy, all his materials are placed exactly where he wants them, manual labor is significantly reduced, with a big increase in productivity, a double win. He told me that he wishes there was a crane like this on every job in town.”

tower crane, saskatchewan

Additional factors that Site Superintendent Labbie commented on:

Increased Safety

  1. The material handling safety factor at the site was much improved and brought a higher safety factor to the entire project site
  2. Increased accuracy of material placement, ensured materials were placed exactly where the tradesmen wanted them with less exposure to all material handling risks
  3. Significant reductions in manual labor meant less on-site congestion and less risk to less people overall

Site Management

  1. The SMH 420 provided a single unloading zone on-site for all incoming materials serviced by our crane, which eliminated the need for an off-site staging yard
  2. Materials were easily redistributed with our crane, and placed exactly where crews needed them on the construction site
  3. Job site space was effectively doubled

Labbie concluded: “This crane is one of the best values we have ever spent money on. In terms of return on investment, it will be paid off in two projects. We are very happy with our purchase.”

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