We have all seen a tower crane installed at a nearby construction site at some point. They are part of the everyday landscape of construction sites. A tower crane is a piece of work equipment used to lift loads. This lifting is done with a hook suspended from a cable installed on a vertical metal structure, which has a horizontal rotating arm. The equipment will also have slewing, hoisting, and load distribution or trolley motors. If it were on rails, it would also have a crane travel motor.
The assembly and installation of these cranes is part of the construction work and involves significant health and safety risks that must be properly coordinated.
Main Risks in Tower Crane Assembly
In this type of assembly work, the main risks are related to falls from height. Therefore, the main risk situations will occur in the following circumstances:
- Movement of personnel along the tower, as well as along the jib and counter-jib.
- Use of service platforms and walkways
There will also be other risks related to crane collapse due to traction cable failure or a failure in the pins.
Tower Crane Assembly from the Health and Safety Coordinator’s Perspective
Furthermore, if the construction site is located in an urban area, the risks may be aggravated.
This was the situation that occurred during the work that the GespreObra team had the opportunity to coordinate last January. It involved the assembly of a tower crane on Cebada Street 4, a busy street in central Madrid, near the La Latina Theatre.
Therefore, during the execution of the work, various issues must be taken into account when coordinating the work with regard to health and safety.
Aspects Related to Location
On the one hand, there is a very important aspect related to the location of the construction site. If, as in this case, it is an assembly in an urban area, the location of the mobile crane on the roadway must be properly defined, as well as the diversion of pedestrians. In this regard, it is important to prevent passage through loading and unloading areas.
Aspects Related to Work Execution
On the other hand, in relation to work execution, we will highlight some aspects that must be taken into account during assembly.
It is noteworthy that the person performing the tower crane assembly must have specific training in occupational risk prevention related to work at height and metal structures. In this regard, it will be vital to use double-lanyard anchorage for movement along the metal structure. This way, they can move vertically while assembling the crane.
On the other hand, proper coordination between the crane operator on the street and the signaller providing instructions will also be very important. It must be taken into account that in situations of this type, the person operating the mobile crane cannot see what is happening during assembly. Therefore, it is necessary to define roles and responsibilities to ensure full communication between the people participating in the maneuver. Sufficient personnel must be available to maintain visual contact through signaling and voice contact through walkie talkies.
For this reason, this type of work must be properly planned and with the necessary human and material resources, as both execution and assembly work must be well planned.
