Construction safety management focuses on occupational health, workplace hygiene and several factors to minimize the level of hazard and risk associated with construction activities.
Lifting machinery is the major technology in the construction industry which minimizes time to complete construction activities. Lifting machinery reduces ergonomic issues of workers by the mechanical energy. Heavy materials can be lifted and installed easily in a short time with the help this technology.
At the same time this amazing technology carries some major risk which includes

• Collapse of lifting machine-like crane, hydra etc.
• Fall of lifted material during operation

Such major accidents affect not only internal but also external stakeholders which increase indirect and indirect costs of organization due to casualty/injury management, property damage, compensation, project hold, adverse publicity etc.

The major hazards due to which the accident may occur are as follows:

• Unsafe installation of lifting machinery: An adequate place shall be chosen to install lifting machine. The surface shall be even to avoid tilt of machine. The base should be of adequate strength as per design requirement. Outriggers shall be fully extended in case of equipment like mobile crane to maintain stability.

• Unavailability of limits & other device: All limits like load limit, trolley limit, hoist limit, slew limit etc. shall be available and checked periodically. Devices like anemometer to indicate wind pressure, human sensor to stop the operation if person come in contact of machine, Anticollision device (ACD) to avoid collision of two crane installed near each other, lightning arrester etc. shall be installed and inspected periodically.

• Incompetent operator: The operator shall have valid license and experience to operate Lifting machineries. He shall undergo medical checkup before deployment and once a year after deployment. Height pass test, Eye test, Hearing capacity shall be included in medical examinations.

• Improper, unsafe and damaged lifting tools: Damaged lifting tools may break during operation which may cause fall of lifted materials. All lifting tools and tackles like wire rope sling, chain sling, web sling, D’shackle, hook etc. shall be inspected before use and damaged tools shall not be used for lifting. Inadequate capacity of lifting tools is also a major concern. Lifting tools shall be selected on the basis of load to be lifted. The safe working load (SWL) of lifting tools shall be greater than load of object to be lifted.

• Overloading: The lifting plan shall be prepared to avoid overloading. Operator, Signalman, Supervisor and Engineer must have information and knowledge to avoid overload which may cause collapse of lifting machine. The load limit plays important role to avoid overloading . Both Lifting machine and lifting tools shall not be overloaded at any stage of operation.

• Excess tension on lifting tools: It causes breaking and damage of lifting accessories and fall of material. The lifting angle shall be managed to avoid excess tension on lifting tools. The tension on slings shall not be greater than its safe working load (SWL).