Emergency Protocol for Wind River Canopy Crane
In
case of a serious accident at the crane site:
a)
attend victim, standard first aid, make situation safe, comfort victim
b)
call 911 from dry shack or other phone location at crane site and/or
radio to office for assistance
c) contact office:
office person makes all contacts needed for situation ie; district EMT,
WRSAR
·
Possible ways to contact
EMS
a)
Canopy hut office, or if not available
b)
Sheriff (427-9490) using phone in crane cab
c)
King Bendix radio to dispatch at Wind River Fire Dispatch
Channel 1 or 3 to fire
dispatch (during summer season only)
Channel 1 or 3 to
Sheriffs office
d.
If available send a person to office to coordinate help
·
Set up rescue rigging if
situation requires
·
Wait for EMS to arrive
Employee Safety Protocol Training
·
Basic Safety Training
for Employees at the Wind River Canopy Crane Facility, Especially Seasonal
Employees
·
Standard First Aid and
CPR
·
Familiarize with safety
plan
·
Familiarize with rescue
technique, equipment, and location of storage.
Training in rescue reserved for arbornaut.
·
Familiarize with
facility layout, gates, access routes.
·
Emergency procedures,
medical, fire or structural.
Areas of Hazard Potential
Operation of the Tower
Crane
Potential problems in
operation of the crane include; structural failure, motor failure, contacting
jib with obstacles, failure of cable, dropping suspended personnel basket, and
failure of slewing bearing. The
following inspections, test lifts, maintenance, operation guidelines, and
training should go a long way in preventing any problems from emerging.
Inspections
Inspections
are made daily by the crane operator under the auspices of recommendations by the manufacturer of the
crane and OSHA, State of Washington
Dept of Labor and Industries, National Safety Council, and ANSI. See Appendix for crane inspection
protocol. In general, the operator
inspects the crane beginning at the bottom and then as he/she climbs the
tower. Checking bolts, welds, rust, structures,
then inspecting motors etc. before beginning operation. After turning crane on the operator will
make sure all operations seem to be running smoothly. The tower crane will also be inspected by manufacturers
representatives; after erection, 30 days after erection, and then as needed.
Personnel
Basket Hoisting Protocol/Checklists
Prior
to hoisting personnel a series of checklists are completed and safety checks
are performed, including Site Safety Officer Checklist, Personnel Basket
Inspection, Test Lift, Orientation of Users.
The purpose of this is to be sure the crane is still capable of
supporting the specified weight for the personnel basket, all systems are still
safe, all users are oriented and that no obstacles exist in general movement of
the crane. Full orientation of users
occurs for each group of new users throughout the day. Appendix IV indicates complete checklists.
Maintenance
Maintenance
of the tower crane is the responsibility of the crane operator and follows
general guidelines of the manufacturer.
Maintenance occurs on daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis. The crane manual lists the maintenance and
inspection schedule. There is a formal
maintenance agreement between the University of Washington and Morrow Crane
Company.
Operation
A daily
log will be kept by the crane operator, which is kept in the operators
cab. Formal safety committee meetings
and toolbox meetings will discuss any perceived problems with operation of the
facility.
Training
Crane
operators are required to have a minimum of five years of tower crane operation
experience. Appendix VII summarizes the
training sessions. Training is directed
at employee responsibilities:
·
full time
arbornauts/crane operator;
·
office manager;
·
part time operators;
·
seasonal employees.
Fall Protection
Fall protection is
paramount. Each individual entering the
suspended personnel basket will have a helmet, full body harness and
lanyard. The lanyard will be secured to
specified attachment points on the gondola.
Suspended
personnel basket
The
site safety officer/arbornaut will provide orientation training to any
individuals who will be lifted in the basket.
This will include fitting of the harness, checking harness for adequate
buckle lock, and reviewing safety standards and appropriate behavior in the suspended
basket.
Tower
Crane
No
harness and lanyard is required on the tower portion of the crane, within the
operators cab or on the counterbalance jib.
Harness and lanyard is required on the mast, load jib, or when climbing
on structure of the crane outside bounds of usual movement.
Fall
Protection Work Plan
Appendix
II includes the Fall Protection Work Plan.
Electrical
The cranes electrical system
consists of the following:
1)
Power Supply (460 amp, 3
phase), from junction box at base of crane, where a transformer is also
located. Power cable runs up the side
to the tower from junction box to slip ring assembly. At base of crane we also have 120 AC available on electrical
board. The switch for turnoff of all
power is located on this electrical board.
2)
Slip ring Assembly, with
junction box on support section, the junction box contains connections for
power supply cable, the cables to the travel motors and the travel control
circuit table. The slip ring assembly
permits the crane to slew in either direction without restriction.
3)
Control Panels, Control
panel S1 in operators cabin. This
control panel contains the main switch and main contact (crane power switch),
control circuit transformer, and control systems for slewing and trolley
travel. Control panel S2 on hoist unit
base frame (back of counterbalance jib).
This control panel contains the hoist control system and the overload
systems.
4)
Operators control
desk. The main control point is in the
operators cabin permanently connected to control panel S1 by a control cable.
5)
Limit Switches. The tower cranes drive systems include
movement limit switches, which are pre-set during crane erection to suit
special site conditions and restrictions.
Overload protection switches are provided to prevent accidental or
deliberate overloading of the tower cranes structure or machinery. These overload protection switches must be
set to the crane manufacturers recommended limits after the crane has been
erected and load tested. The tower
crane must not be put into service until the overload protection switches are
set.
6)
Power cable to suspended
personnel basket. A cable system is
attached to the jib via a power spooler on the trolley, to deliver 120 AC to
the personnel basket.
7)
At each landing of the
tower is 110 power outlets, all GFI protected.
The crane electrical system is grounded.
Wildfire
Wildfire is a potential
problem in surrounding forests, and in the crane stand. If smoke is observed that indicates
potential wildfire, we will notify fire control at the Wind River Ranger
District, evacuate the crane facility, and cut power to the crane facility. Fire tools at base of crane: pulaski,
shovel, fire extinguisher, and during fire season, bladder bag. See fire and
suppression plan page 31.
Electrical Storm
In the event of a lightening
storm the gondola will be set down immediately, and cleared out of all
personnel until weather conditions have changed/cleared enough to allow
continuation of safe operation. Crane
operator and arbornaut will assess weather conditions and make the decision
when, and if operations will proceed.
Hazard Tree/Snag
Large snag or tree may fall and hit people, vehicles,
suspended personnel basket or crane.
Formal Hazard Tree and Snag
examination and mitigation: three phases.
See Appendix 6. Hazard Tree and Snag Management.
Hazard Snag Survey and
Felling along access road and crane base.
Involved felling all snags with potential to hit the road or crane. Included topping or felling from base. Sixty-six snags felled
Hazard Tree Survey around
base of crane. Examination of large
trees with lean so that they could possibly hit the crane. Assessment of tree condition, potential to
fall soon.
Hazard Zone Designation
within the canopy crane access zone. Will not be visited when unfavorable
weather conditions occur, until arbornaut and crane operator makes complete
assessment and gives approval.
Additional Equipment
Any additional equipment to
be attached to the tower or put in the basket has to be approved by crane
operator and safety committee prior to loading the gondola. Potential hazardous equipment would include
items such as batteries, heaters, and pressurized gases.
Access
Under heavy snow conditions
crane operations will cease until sufficient access for emergency vehicles has
been plowed to the base of the crane.
And gates are to be kept unlocked during operations.
Night Operations
Predetermine and document
coordinate points during daytime, prior to night operations taking place. A person is to be at the canopy hut for
emergency contact needs. Weather should
be at an optimum, and during gondola movement, a light is to be on as a visual
to assist crane operator.
Electrical Equipment
Special care should be taken
and pre approved by the arbornaut while using electrical equipment in gondola
to avoid electrical hazards.
Tree Climbing
WRCCRF will require radio
communication if tree climbing within the 20 acre patch. Staff will help to facilitate any rescues
needed. Tree climbing will ONLY occur
in designated NON-pristine trees.
Tree climbers to be approved
by safety committee.
Tree Platform Use
The WRCCRF will require a
developed safety plan from the potential platform users. Our office can provide a template for
assistance in developing a formal plan, if needed. The plan will then need to
be approved by WRCCRF safety committee.
All liabilities must be explicit in this plan.
Troubleshooting
Problem:
Emergency requires ambulance and/or medical treatment.
Solution:
·
Call office (Canopy Hut)
by radio.
·
Using phone in
operators cab, dry shack or gondola, contact 911, emergency services.
·
Using King-Bendix (5
watt) radio contact: USFS Wind River Ranger District, between hours 7:30 am to
4:30 pm-Channel 1 or 3, after hours-Channel 3.
·
Send someone on foot to
Canopy Crane Facility Office, approximately 2,000 ft away from crane to car,
then 2,000 ft to facility, dial 911.
Problem:
Personal injury in gondola, not life threatening.
Solution:
Communication
with crane operator, if needed return to crane base. First Aid Kit in basket.
Problem:
Suspended personnel basket stalls in place. (do to power outage or other problem)
Solution:
If not a
life threatening situation, wait for office person to contact PUD for estimate
time for power restoration.
Arbornaut
evacuates all users from the basket by setting brake rack and belay rescue
system. Arbornaut then descends on
rappel rack. See Appendix VIII for
procedure to evacuate suspended personnel basket. In emergency, crane operator can lower the basket by physically
manipulating brake on hoist motor.
Possibly wait out situation if power outage.
Problem:
Suspended personnel basket stalls in place, big wind comes up and
operator cannot hold jib in place.
Solution:
Preventative
planning, dont go up in windy conditions or when weather is forecasted to be
bad. Monitor weather at all times.
Problem:
Communication is totally lost between operator and gondola.
Solution:
Operator
stops all crane movement, then tries to make verbal contact through crane cab
window. If no contact is made operator
calls the canopy hut immediately for assistance
Problem:
Gondola is stalled, arbornaut incapacitated, rescue required from jib.
Solution:
First
attend to victim, then operator calls 911 and/or canopy hut for
assistance. While waiting for arrival
of help, operator sets up rescue rigging system to be used when help arrives.
Problem: Main
radio communication fails between operator and suspended personnel basket.
Solution:
Use back-up
Bendix-King radio. Backup radio left on
at all times. May be possible to shout
or use hand signals if within view. See
Appendix I, for hand signals.
Problem: Crane
operator suddenly becomes incapacitated.
(as in heart attack)
Solution:
Deadman
controls stop all functioning of crane, holds in place. After communication attempts fail, Arbornaut
notifies office, office person calls 911.
Then arbornaut descends from basket and climbs the tower to the
operators cab.
Problem:
Evacuation of operator from cab required (such as medical emergency,
etc.)
Solution:
Operator is
fitted in quick clip victim harness, descend from window in front of operators
cab using brake rack and belay system.
See Appendix for system design.
Problem: Worst
Case Scenario‑medical emergency during:
Rain/Snow,
34 degrees, Windy (40 mph), Night-time
Power goes
out
Wind blows
snag into gondola
Primary
communication fails
Only
operator is available to assist
Solution: Preventative safety protocols will avoid this situation.
APPENDIX I
APPENDIX II
