Just found out 40% of mobile crane accidents happen during setup, not the lift itself

I was reading through OSHA reports from last year and stumbled on a stat that said nearly half of all mobile crane incidents are during setup and assembly. That's wild to me because I always thought the scary part was swinging a load over a building. How many of you actually double-check your outrigger pads and ground conditions before every setup?

3 comments

3 Comments

bens811mo ago

Isn't the stat actually that 40% happen during setup but most are from operator error?

stella_baker1mo ago

40% during setup sounds about right @bens81, but I used to think it was mostly bad luck or cheap parts. Then I watched a buddy of mine get a calloused thumb caught under a saw blade guard because he skipped the last step in the setup checklist to save time. That one second shortcut cost him a trip to the ER and a lost shift. I figured the same thing would happen to me eventually if I didn't follow every step, no matter how boring it got.

tarar271mo ago

Man, that's rough. I've seen guys skip steps too and it always makes me cringe. One missed bolt check on a press almost sent a die flying at my old shop. Did your buddy go back to following the checklist after that?