IRSST - Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail

Evaluation of a range-limiting device for mobile cranes

Abstract

In a previous study, a device to limit the range of mobile cranes operating near power lines was developed and tested in the laboratory and the field. The study reported here, the final stage in the development of the device, experimentally determined whether certain modifications of the device’s functional parameters interfered with operators’ use of the crane or the behaviour of the crane itself. A 100-tonne crane equipped with the range-limiting device developed by the IRSST and computerised instrumentation was deployed on an experimental site on which a simulated power line had been installed. The effect of the device on the crane’s braking performance and on workers’ ability to judge the distance between the crane and the power lines was studied.

The research demonstrated the value of this device under typical operating conditions and helped define parameters which ensure its effective use. In addition, a method which allows operators to evaluate the distance between a crane and power lines by themselves was developed and validated; this method is both simpler and much safer than current methods.

Additional Information

Type: Project
Number: 0092-0500
Status: Completed
Team:
  • Joseph-Jean Paques (IRSST)
  • Daniel Imbeau (Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières)
  • Réal Bourbonnière (IRSST)