Like all heavy duty construction machinery, regular maintenance is paramount to their efficient operation. A common way maintenance is carried out is through regular checks, listed and ticked off as they are completed. Here is an example of a general listing of tower crane maintenance checks.
General Requirements:
- Is the tower crane provided with the following markings: Safe working load, serial number and LM number?
- Is there safe access and egress provided to the crane operator?
- Is there a load capacity chart present in the operator cabin?
- Is the operator crane cabin provided with a locking mechanism so as to prevent unauthorised entry?
- Is a safety bar fitted across the operator’s cabin window where there is a likelihood of the operator falling through it?
- Is the fire extinguisher fit for use and provided in the operator cabin?
- Is there an updated Operation and Maintenance log book is available in the operator cabin?
- Is there a Manufacturer Operating Manual and Maintenance Manual made available?
- Is the tower crane adequately grounded or protected against lightning?