August - September 2021
Safety focus on crane service standards
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Rising demand puts particular pressure on hazardous area operations, says Konecranes Demag operations manager Mark Beckwith
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MANAGEMENT
s industry prepares for recovery from supply chain disruption caused by the Covid pandemic, companies face the prospect of rapidly expanding demand on lifting equipment vital to their business. One of the key areas where ongoing safety and reliability will need particular attention as production and distribution ramps up is with specialist lifting equipment, such as hazardous environment cranes and hoists. Now would be the best time to focus on such specialist technology by undertaking inspections and maintenance before a wave of greater demand arrives to put pressure on resources. Some of this specialist technology may have lain idle or have been subject-
ed to intermittent or lesser loads than usual over the past year or so,” But it may be now subjected to greater loads than ever as operators catch up with new production when the economic tide begins to turn. If you haven’t looked into crane modernisation generally, you’ll likely be surprised by the range of safety and productivity enhancements possible through updating older cranes. Quality is especially important in hazardous environments, where safety and efficiency are key. Modernisation raises operational productivity and profitability by assisting operators of upgraded equipment to decrease maintenance costs and control capital expenditures in highly competitive industries.
Konecranes has more than 600,000 items of lifting equipment of all brands under service contracts worldwide. It manufactures a broad range of cranes and hoists specifically designed and certified for hazardous environments. Its cranes include EX types for operating in potentially explosive atmospheres. These environments include those encountered in industries such as chemical plants, agriculture and food and beverage processing and petrochemical plants, oil refineries, ports, transport and logistics, mining plants, gas power plants, recycling plants, co-generation plants and wastewater treatment plants. It includes automotive and other paint shops and industrial sites that may be subject to vapors, gas, dust and volatile environments. Mark.Beckwith@konecranes.com 64 safetynews.co.nz
