Finding Better Manufacturing Equipment

Procuring an Industrial Crane for an Indoor Facility? Here's What You Need to Know First

23 January 2017

Clarence Gray

As a procurement specialist, part of your job is to consider the various requirement that need to be met when fulfilling a purchase order, especially for material handling equipment such as industrial cranes. With this type of purchase, several things need to be considered when choosing one (or several) cranes to meet your facility's needs, and they all have to do with safety. Here are a few questions to answer. 

Does your industry require zero emissions equipment use indoors? 

Some industries require zero emissions for equipment that is used indoors, such as a food processing facility where contamination may be a problem and power generation plants where other chemicals and gases may be a problem. Therefore, the first thing to do is to determine what emissions regulations there are for your facility. If you cannot locate the information within the operations manual for your facility, contact the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 

If your facility is required to comply to zero emissions safety regulations, then you will need to procure a battery operated industrial crane. Fortunately, there are several types of battery operated cranes available to purchase. They can also be referred to as compact industrial cranes or pick and lift cranes. 

Does your facility already have a battery charging station? 

If your facility does not already have a battery charging station, such as for other material handling equipment like pallet jacks and forklifts, you may also need to establish a battery charging station for the industrial crane(s). The key element to look at in the various industrial cranes that are available is whether or not the batteries need to be lifted out of the crane and placed in a charging station in order to be charged or the cranes can simply be plugged in to an electrical outlet.

If your facility will need a new battery charging station for the new industrial crane(s), you will need to consider the safety aspects of recharging batteries. A normal chemical reaction takes place inside a battery when the end of the charging cycle is almost complete, which produces hydrogen. Hydrogen is a lightweight and highly explosive, especially when it is allowed to accumulate.

Therefore, the battery charging station should contain an overhead hydrogen monitor and a ventilation system to remove the gas. This monitor should be connected to a programmable logic controller which will automatically turn on a ventilation system when the monitor reads hydrogen in the area. If your facility does not require a battery charging station for the new cranes, you may still want to consider bolstering up the ventilation system due to the emissions that come part and parcel with fuel operated equipment. 

Is there an eye wash station available for employees? 

Whether your facility chooses a fuel operated or a battery operated model, your facility may also need an eye wash station. Of course, battery operated models contain acid, as acid is what is used inside batteries to give them the ability to recharge. Workers could come in contact with the battery acid, especially if they need to handle the batteries for the purpose of recharging.

Both types of cranes use hydraulics to raise and lower the booms. At some point, employers could come in contact with hydraulic fluid either from an accident or while performing routine maintenance. Therefore, it's important to provide an eye wash station, at least. Acid & hydraulic fluid could cause personal injury to those anyone who comes into contact with the fluids, which is why it's crucial for these fluids to be washed off as quickly as possible after coming into contact with them. Since acid and hydraulic fluid may splash, every worker within the facility should be trained to use the eye wash station before the industrial cranes you will acquire are delivered to the facility. 

To learn more, contact services like American Equipment Inc.

Share