Crane Safety

Know the wind. It’s a simple but profound statement for crane operators today. The fact is wind is the second most common cause for crane accidents worldwide.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) reports that, “Between 2000 and 2010, there were 1,125 tower crane accidents reported worldwide, resulting in over 780 deaths. One of the main culprits behind these tragedies was exposure to wind, which caused 23 percent of all accidents.”

While being able to track wind speed is important, ANSI stresses, “…the primary concern related to the forces that wind exerts on a tower crane’s load is not the speed of the wind, but its pressure. Wind pressure varies as the square of the wind speed, so, as wind speed doubles, the wind pressure increases by a factor of four times. This means that a small increase in wind speed can severely threaten the safe performance of a tower crane.”

So how can an operator effectively and accurately track the atmospheric changes impacting their work environment? The answer can literally fit in the palm of your hand: the TriSonica Mini Wind & Weather Sensor. The TriSonica Mini uses ultrasonic measurements to tell you exactly how fast the wind is moving—from the lightest breath to a stormy gale—and in what direction it moves: up, down, front, back or sideways. It also tells you the temperature of the air, the compass heading relative to the device, the moisture borne in the wind, the density of the air, and dew point. Investing in a reliable, accurate, and robust ultrasonic anemometer will take the guesswork out of knowing real-time wind conditions. Peace of mind comes from knowing the wind.

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