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Increasing overhead crane safety with LED crane safety lights

It can be easy to forget that cranes are incredibly huge, heavy, and dangerous machines, and while it is important to keep crane operators safe, it is just as important to ground crews safe and aware as well.

Accidents involving cranes are catastrophic and must be avoided at all costs. From 2011 to 2017, the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), reported 297 crane-related fatalities, with most accidents involving overhead and gantry cranes. One of the biggest risks of any crane operation is falling loads or loads being lowered while personnel are in the way. Traditionally, crane operators and ground crews would manage communication to avoid accidents, but it was not a full-proof system as one instance of forgetfulness or lack of communication could end in tragic results.

Recognizing the need to further ensure the safety of crane operators and ground crews, LED lighting manufacturers, such as Straits Lighting, have developed LED crane safety and warning lights. These lights provide specific warning and indicator lighting to show the danger zone surrounding the load, as well as the crane trolley head itself. This ensures that personnel on the ground are aware of a crane’s whereabouts during operation, as well as the dangerous overhead loads.

The ideal lights for safety

A crane’s configuration and size determine the type and style of LED crane light needed. The most popular type of LED styles are linear lights and spotlights. These will clearly illuminate a danger zone surrounding the crane head and its load.

Linear lights, ideal for precision work, produce a narrow, linear beam to create a clearly defined light on the ground where crane operations are taking place. On the other hand, spotlights are idea for illuminating from higher cranes, where enough power is needed to effectively illuminate the safety zone surrounding the crane head.

These safety lights provide a solution for safety around overhead and gantry cranes as well as other cranes that use a hoist to carry loads. Additionally, these lights are designed for industrial environments and are constructed of highly durable, quality materials in order to ensure a long service life.

Although some stores may offer general mounted fixtures such as LED flood lights, there are limited number of stores that carry LED safety lights that have been designed specifically for cranes.

Commercialledlights.com offers a variety of LED crane lights that range from 18 watts (1,500 lumens) up to 140 watts (11,666 lumens). These lights have the ability to project a highly visible blue or red beam of light to illuminate the hazardous area under the hoist. This beam can be configured as a single line or a box around the danger zone. The lens can also be removed on the 140 watt fixtures to be used as a spotlight.