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Found out 1 in 3 mobile crane accidents happen during setup
Was reading through the OSHA crane accident database last night. Scrolling through 2023 reports. Saw 34 incidents just from setup phase. Leveling errors mostly. Or outriggers sinking in soft ground. One guy in Ohio dropped a 50 ton Grove because the mats weren't wide enough. Who else checks ground bearing pressure before every lift?
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danieltaylor8d ago
Bet you half those setup failures happen because the ground crew is rushing to beat a rain schedule or get to lunch, not because they don't know the math.
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kelly_coleman614d ago
Oh now, I don't think lunch has much to do with it. Most ground crews I've worked with take their time on the job because they know a mistake means the whole rig comes back broken. It's more likely a communication breakdown between the crew and the pilot or dispatch that causes those failures, not a lack of patience or a growling stomach.
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reed.eva4d ago
Wait, "beat a rain schedule"? Seriously? They're racing against drops of water instead of just doing it right the first time. That's insane. I can picture some poor guy hurrying through the connections just so he doesn't get wet on his coffee break. No wonder stuff falls apart.
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