Proper Use of Safety Harnesses by Workers at Heights: Workers engaged in suspended work at heights should firmly fasten their safety harnesses. The selection and wearing of safety harnesses should comply with the relevant provisions of the current national standard “Safety Harnesses” (GB6095). When working at heights, the safety of workers is of utmost importance. The safety harness serves as a crucial safeguard to prevent workers from falling and suffering serious injuries. It should be carefully inspected before use to ensure that there are no defects such as broken straps or damaged buckles. Workers need to be trained on the correct wearing method to ensure that the harness fits snugly and can effectively play its protective role. For example, the straps should be adjusted to the appropriate length so that they neither restrict the movement of the worker too much nor are too loose to provide adequate support.
Regular Physical Examinations for Workers at Heights: Workers engaged in high-altitude operations should undergo regular physical examinations as required. High-altitude work places great physical demands on workers, and certain health conditions may pose risks during such work. Regular physical examinations can help detect potential health problems in advance, such as heart diseases, high blood pressure, or problems with balance and vision. If a worker is found to have a condition that may affect their ability to work safely at heights, appropriate measures should be taken, such as adjusting their work tasks or providing necessary medical treatment until they are fit to resume high-altitude work. This not only protects the safety of the workers themselves but also ensures the smooth progress of the lifting and hoisting operations.
Qualifications and Training of Special Operation Personnel: Personnel involved in lifting and hoisting operations, including drivers, crane operators, signal conductors, and electric welders, are all considered special operation personnel. They must undergo professional training, pass relevant assessments to obtain qualification certificates, and also have their physical conditions confirmed to be suitable for working at heights. Special operation personnel play a key role in the entire lifting and hoisting process. Their professional skills and experience directly affect the safety and efficiency of the operations. For example, crane operators need to have a thorough understanding of the operation principles and performance parameters of the crane, be proficient in handling various controls, and be able to accurately judge the lifting situation and make timely adjustments. Signal conductors should have clear and accurate signaling skills to ensure smooth communication between different operation links. Professional training programs should cover not only theoretical knowledge but also practical operation skills and safety awareness education to comprehensively improve the professional quality of special operation personnel.
Enclosure and Protection of Buildings during Construction: During the construction process, buildings should be enclosed using dense-mesh safety vertical nets (or appropriate edge protection measures should be taken). This measure is mainly to prevent construction materials, tools, or even workers from accidentally falling from the building, causing potential hazards to people and objects on the ground. The safety vertical nets should be installed firmly and have sufficient strength and durability to withstand possible impacts. At the same time, regular inspections should be carried out to check for any damage or loosening of the nets to ensure their continuous effectiveness.
Covering and Fixing of Holes on the Construction Site: Effective measures should be taken to tightly cover and firmly fix various holes on the construction site and in the building. Holes can be a significant safety hazard as workers or objects may accidentally fall into them. For small holes, solid cover plates should be used to cover them tightly, and the cover plates should be able to prevent displacement. For larger holes, in addition to covering them with safety nets or cover plates, protective railings should also be installed around the holes. This multi-layered protection approach can effectively reduce the risk of accidents caused by holes.
Installation of Protective Sheds: Protective sheds should be erected above areas where people are concentrated and at entrances and exits. For example, at the entrances and exits of buildings and above the loading openings of elevators, protective sheds are necessary. The length of the protective shed should not be less than the specified falling radius of objects to ensure that it can effectively protect people below from being hit by falling objects. The installation of protective sheds should be carried out in strict accordance with design requirements, ensuring their stability and strength.
Provision of Safe Working Platforms and Walkways: When working at heights, such as during the binding of steel bars and the installation of frameworks, scaffolding should be erected. Workers should not arbitrarily use the frames of lifting equipment such as elevators for climbing. When pouring concrete more than 2 meters above the ground, an operation platform should be set up, and workers should not stand on formwork or support rods to operate. These measures are to provide workers with a stable and safe working environment, reducing the risk of falls due to unstable standing positions.
Protection of Ladders: Ladders should not be used by being padded up. The bottom of the ladder should be firm and have anti-slip measures, and the upper end should have fixing measures. When using folding ladders, reliable bracing measures should be provided. Ladders are commonly used tools for workers to access different heights, but if used improperly, they can easily cause accidents. The anti-slip measures at the bottom of the ladder can prevent it from slipping during use, and the fixing measures at the upper end can ensure its stability. For folding ladders, the bracing measures are crucial to maintain their structural integrity and prevent collapse.
Prevention of Cross-Construction Hazards: During cross-construction, it is not advisable to have operations in the same vertical direction above and below. The position of the lower-layer operation should preferably be outside the possible falling radius range of the upper layer. When this requirement cannot be met, a safety protection layer should be set up. This is to avoid the situation where objects falling from the upper layer during construction directly hit workers or equipment on the lower layer, causing serious accidents.
Safety Precautions during Demolition Operations: During various demolition operations (such as the demolition of steel formwork and scaffolding), cleaning and tidying up should not be carried out simultaneously below when demolition is being carried out above. The temporary stacking area of materials should be at least 1 meter away from the edge. Demolition work often involves the handling of large and heavy objects, and if not properly coordinated, it can easily lead to objects falling and causing accidents. Separating the demolition and cleaning operations and ensuring a safe distance for material stacking can effectively reduce such risks.
Inspection and Testing of Lifting Machinery: Before large-scale lifting and hoisting operations, the site should be surveyed in detail. A special plan should be formulated according to the characteristics of the project and the working environment, and it should be approved by the technical director of the enterprise. The content of the plan includes: site environment and measures, project overview and construction technology, selection basis of lifting machinery, design and calculation of lifting booms, design of ground anchors, design and selection of wire ropes and rigging, requirements for ground bearing capacity and roads, layout diagrams of component stacking and positioning, and various protection measures during the hoisting process. After lifting machinery enters the site, it should be inspected and accepted. Reassembled lifting machinery should undergo trial runs as required, including static load and dynamic load tests, and the sensitivity and reliability of various safety devices should be tested. Lifting booms should be inspected by trial hoisting after being assembled according to the plan, and can only be used when they are confirmed to meet the requirements. These measures ensure that the lifting machinery is in good working condition and can operate safely and stably during the hoisting process.
Maintenance and Testing of Cranes: In addition to regular maintenance as required, truck-mounted cranes should also undergo annual operational tests, including rated load and overload tests, to test their mechanical properties, structural deformation, and load-carrying capacity. If the requirements are not met, the load should be reduced for use. Regular maintenance can keep the crane in good mechanical condition, reducing the occurrence of mechanical failures. The operational tests can accurately assess the performance of the crane under different load conditions, ensuring that it can safely complete the hoisting tasks within its capacity.
Inspection of Lifting Rigging and Slings: Lifting rigging and slings should be inspected piece by piece according to the requirements of the construction plan before use. Any damaged or defective rigging and slings should not be used. Lifting rigging and slings are directly involved in bearing the weight of the lifted objects, and their quality and integrity are crucial for the safety of the hoisting operation. Regular inspections can detect potential problems in advance, such as wear, cracks, or broken strands in the wire ropes, ensuring that only reliable rigging and slings are used in the hoisting process.
Preparation of Safety Protection Materials and Equipment: The materials used for various protection measures in lifting and hoisting operations, the erection of scaffolding, and the enclosure of dangerous operation areas should meet the requirements of the plan. This includes ensuring the quality and quantity of safety nets, protective railings, and other materials, as well as the proper erection and installation of scaffolding to provide a safe working environment for workers.
Inspection of Crane Running Roads: The running roads of cranes should be inspected. When the ground bearing capacity does not meet the requirements, bedding measures such as subgrade boxes should be adopted. The running road condition of the crane directly affects its stability and safety during operation. If the ground is too soft or uneven, it may cause the crane to tip over or have difficulty moving, posing a serious threat to the safety of the hoisting operation. By taking appropriate bedding measures, the ground condition can be improved to ensure the smooth running of the crane.
IV. Safety Management and Communication Measures
Safety Technical Disclosure before Operations: Before lifting and hoisting operations, safety technical disclosure should be carried out. The content includes the hoisting process, the weight of components, and precautions. This allows all personnel involved in the operation to have a clear understanding of the operation process, potential risks, and necessary precautions, enhancing their safety awareness and ensuring that they can perform their tasks in accordance with the correct procedures. The safety technical disclosure should be carried out in a detailed and comprehensive manner, preferably in written form with the signatures of relevant personnel to ensure its effectiveness and traceability.
Clear Signaling and Communication: During the lifting and hoisting process, clear signaling and communication between different operation links are essential. Signal conductors should use standard and clear signaling methods to convey instructions accurately to crane operators and other relevant personnel. At the same time, good communication channels should be established among all personnel involved in the operation to ensure that any problems or changes can be promptly reported and coordinated. For example, if there is an unexpected situation on the construction site that affects the hoisting operation, such as the discovery of an obstacle in the lifting path, it can be quickly communicated to the crane operator so that appropriate adjustments can be made in time to avoid accidents.
In conclusion, lifting and hoisting operations involve multiple aspects of safety risks, and strict compliance with the above safety measures is crucial to ensure the safety of personnel, the integrity of equipment, and the smooth progress of the operation. Each measure is interrelated and complementary, and only by comprehensively implementing these measures can a safe working environment be created for lifting and hoisting operations.
