Reducing Industrial Crane Accidents
This is an article on how communication difficulties cause crane industrial accidents. Communication in operation of cranes becomes difficult if it cannot be done through the phone but through email.
Due to this bitter truth, the discharging of responsibilities becomes extremely difficult. For the success of industrial operations, a good communication system must therefore be put in place. This ensures that, the level of safety is high and therefore chances of accidents are reduced drastically. It is therefore a requirement that players in this sector develop a good communication system that will be in line with industrial operations and equally important maintain high standards of motivation for employees. Without these two going hand in hand, the reputation of the industry is put at stake because the workers are working in a very risky environment. In an industry where communication can only be made through email instead of using a phone, the speed at which the information reaches the recipient is highly questionable.
It is even more dangerous in a situation where workers are dealing with cranes. In such a specific area, transmission of information with cranes can be made possible through use of a radio. It is applicable in industries where there are many activities and it gives workers a room to make direct speech. If the operators cannot understand each other, then the likelihood of experiencing an accident is very high. This is why; the use of an email to communicate is in itself difficult because writing one takes time and equally time consuming is the transfer of the same to the person on the other end.
By the time the recipient gets the message and responds to the same, it will definitely take time and therefore the industrial operations becomes slow and time consuming. Due to this fact, any urgent issue cannot be addressed using this mode of communication therefore an accident can easily occur. In a bid to curb industrial crane accidents, the management should integrate radio devices in order to ensure a single line of communication on the ground. In addition, the management can also include call buttons to provide a comfortable way of communication. To put in place a system that links call stations and a crane, there is need to fix a switch integrated with radio interface.
This will ensure that communication between the crane operators is complete and able to reduce the number of accidents In case of any announcements that one wants to make, it is only a matter of pressing a button and making the required announcement. This automatically reaches all the operating units within the industry. In the recent studies that have been carried out, it is evident that, failure of communication cables is to blame for all crane industrial accidents. This is even more likely to occur if communication is made through email instead of such gadgets like phones and radios, which can allow a worker to communicate directly (Rizvi, 2005). When using an email, it is possible to misspell words and therefore the recipient might get the wrong information.
Although communication through the phone might be very reliable, in a place where there is a lot of noise, it might prove futile resulting to many misconceptions. Due to such situations, it demands that, if the person one is communicating with is within a visible distance, use of gestures remains the only way out. However, field phone are the most recommended methods and not use of such modes like the email.Due to increased number of crane industrial accidents, some general safety measures have been recommended for crane operators and other operators dealing with handling of heavy goods. First, it is advisable that a set of signals be accepted while every operation is taking place. While this might appear to reduce crane accidents, it is good to remember that not all workers can remember the meaning of every signal.
For this reason, there is need to put a chart within all workers vicinity explaining on the meaning of every signal that is likely to be used. In some areas of operation, it is required that a chart be fixed in the crane’s cab. Secondly, crane operators should always keep it in mind that, unless in an emergency, only the agreed signals are supposed to be used in communication. Thirdly, all operators should have a clear mind before sending a signal for moving any load. Finally, familiarizing oneself with all signals would only mean one thing, no confusion, and therefore few or no accidents at all.
While operating cranes, use of email in sending information is not effective. The reasons behind this are many. To begin with, direct way of communication like when one is using a phone demands for quick action to be taken in case of an emergency. This is because direct communication alerts the mind of the receiver. In a situation where an operator is using an email, the receiver can ignore the message (Driscoll, 2006).
This is because the communication was not direct and therefore the receiver did not take the message with the seriousness that it deserves. This might end up causing an accident. Another reason why use of email is difficult in communication is that confirmation of whether the message has been received or not is not guaranteed immediately. Due to this, it is extremely difficult to address an emergency. For these reasons, sending messages becomes very tricky. Apart from the above-mentioned barriers that come with email communication in operation of cranes, use of different words can send different information depending on the receiver.
For instance, if the communication is being done in English, the receiver may interpret the message differently given that some words have more than one meaning. For this reason, crane operators should take time in digesting the received message before acting on it. In case of any misinterpretation, an accident may occur (Rizvi, 2005). The situation is even worse if it happens that the receiver is newly employed. So, incase one is compelled to using email in communication, one should be very conscious about some of the words that may confuse fellow workers.
Sending an email saying one thing but with a different meaning can be a sure way of causing confusion that may result to an accident. It is advisable that, operators should minimize or even avoid if possible use of sarcasm while using email as way of communication. Studies indicate that while not using voice, sarcasm is taken differently on emails. In conclusion, one of the surest ways to minimize crane industrial accidents is by putting an effective communication system in place. This will not only save on time but also motivate workers. Motivation comes when the workers are aware that their life is not at risk.
The disadvantages of using email in communication are just too many (Driscoll, 2006). If possible, use of phones or radios is the best system of communication in operations of industrial cranes. These two are fast and can help in tackling any emergency that may arise while on operation. In the wake of increased number of crane accidents, it is a wake up call for all operators in the industry to improve communication methods. If all the above-discussed measures were put into consideration, crane industrial accidents would be outdated.
